Delayed polls create leadership vacuum in NRI Saba Punjab, state’s lone statutory body for expatriates

With nearly 23,000 registered members, the NRI Sabha is expected to function as a democratic platform to address the grievances of the NRI community and involve them in the socio-economic development of Punjab. As per the established practice, only registered NRI members can participate in elections, and voting traditionally requires physical presence.

Members are now demanding that elections be announced immediately so that the organisation can be made functional in an effective and transparent manner. They maintain that the continued delay is eroding the credibility of the institution and weakening its ability to serve NRIs.

Plea filed before Punjab and Haryana HC

The election delay was also brought before the Punjab and Haryana High Court through a petition filed by Karan Randhawa, a member of the NRI Sabha, seeking directions to initiate elections strictly as per the Constitution.

In response, the Divisional Commissioner of Jalandhar, who is also the chairman of the NRI Sabha Punjab and constitutionally responsible for conducting its elections, filed an affidavit stating that a request to initiate the election process had been sent to the Department of NRI Affairs. It was further stated that on December 2, 2025, the department sought the proposed election schedule, which was subsequently forwarded to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for approval.

Based on this affidavit, the high court recorded that the election process had been initiated. However, no poll schedule has been notified till date, leading members to question the delay in implementing the assurance recorded before the court.

Reacting to the situation, the petitioner Randhawa stated that while the court recorded the government’s statement, the lack of concrete action places the responsibility squarely on the chairman of the NRI Sabha Punjab to conduct the election without further delay.

The members of the Sabha pointed out that despite assurances made during the last elections, the outgoing president allegedly failed to revive the Sabha and, instead, ran it in a unilateral manner, against the spirit of collective decision-making enshrined in the Constitution.

Randhawa alleged serious violations of the statutory body’s Constitution and its bye-laws during the tenure of the outgoing president. He alleged that the president is supposed to constitute the central executive committee, but it was never formed. He also alleged failure to constitute the administrative sub-committee, failure to convene the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and failure to place monthly income and expenditure statements before the executive committee, thereby violating norms of transparency and accountability.

Seeking financial clarity, Randhawa filed an application under the Right to Information Act (RTI). However, the Sabha allegedly failed to provide the requested financial information.

Randhawa alleged that even a minister’s order was ignored. “A binding order dated 31 January 2024, issued by the then Minister for NRI Affairs, Punjab, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who is also the Patron of the Sabha, appointed five office bearers of NRI Sabha Punjab. However, the order was allegedly not implemented, further deepening the governance vacuum,” he said.

NRI Sabha Punjab: operational since 1998

The NRI Sabha was inaugurated in 1996 and became operational around 1998 after its formal registration that year with the objective of providing NRIs a formal platform to raise issues and contribute to Punjab’s development. The chief minister is the chief patron of the Saba while the commissioner of the Jalandhar division is its chairman.

Currently, around 14 district units of the NRI Sabha are functional, with the respective deputy commissioners chairing them. Initially, NRI members who were unable to be physically present were allowed to appoint nominees with voting rights. Over time, while nominees retained the right to raise issues on behalf of members, their voting rights were withdrawn.

The NRI Sabha’s Constitution also provides for the formation of district-level and area-level units. Where membership exceeds 100, elections are mandatory; where it is below 100, the president of the unit may be nominated by the respective chairman of the district unit.

Members have, however, alleged that the absence of central leadership and elections has adversely affected the functioning of these grassroots units as well.

“If revived through timely, transparent, and constitutionally compliant elections, the body can play a pivotal role in resolving NRI grievances and contributing meaningfully to the state’s development,” said Randhawa.

“We have urged the government to immediately declare the election schedule, uphold constitutional governance, and restore democratic functioning in the NRI Sabha Punjab, warning that continued delay risks further legal and institutional complications,” Randhawa added.

When contacted, the outgoing President Parvinder Kaur Australia did not offer a detailed comment but said she was busy in a meeting.