Journalism of Courage
Lalit K Jha
The US is still reviewing the application for the transfer of senior Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade to UN and issue the necessary documents to her for full diplomatic immunity,a top American official said here. It is under review. We cannot predict when that review will be complete, said a State Department spokesperson in response to a question on the status of the UN request to grant full diplomatic status to 39-year-old Khobragade.
The State Department had received her application from the United Nations in New York on December 20. Normally,the State Department takes a decision on this very quickly,but this time the US is taking an unusually long time. We cannot compare this to previous requests as each request is evaluated on its own merits, the spokesperson
said on Tuesday. Khobragade was arrested on December 12 on charges of visa fraud and misrepresentation. At the time of her arrest,she was Deputy Consul General at the Indian Consulate in New York.
The US says,in this capacity,she did not have full diplomatic immunity. Days after her arrest,the Indian government transferred Khobragade to the permanent mission of India to the United Nations (UN),with the view that this would give her the necessary diplomatic immunity.
India has strongly objected to her arrest,and in protest has withdrawn many of the diplomatic privileges granted to the American diplomats in India.
Salary of embassy staff based on local wages: US
press trust of india
Washington,January 1
The US has said that the salary of its embassy staff in countries around the world is based on prevailing wages in conjunction with the local laws.
Generally,compensation plans for locally employed staff at US Missions abroad are based upon prevailing wage rates and compensation practices for corresponding types of positions in the employment locality, a State Department Spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The spokesperson was responding to a question on whether the US Embassy in India complies with local wage laws.
The issue of salaries paid to employees in the US embassy and consulates in India came to the fore after senior Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade was arrested in New York on December 12 on charges of making false declarations in a visa application for her maid Sangeeta Richard.
Subsequently,she was strip searched and held in jail with drug addicts and criminals which triggered a row between the US and India. Khobragade,39,was released on a $250,000 bond.
India has sought details of salaries of the Indians working at the American Embassy in New Delhi and its other diplomatic missions. According to information available,Indian staff working at US Embassies including cooks and drivers are paid between an amount of Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 which is below the minimum wage of $9.47 per hour applicable in New York or in any other US city.
