Open House by the Indian High Commission in Colombo on Jan.30

Issuing a press release, the High Commission of India in Colombo states that it has been a constant endeavou of the High Commission, to make its services transparent and more accessible to Indian nationals in Sri Lanka.

As part of this effort, an Open House will be held by the High Commission of India in Colombo on January 30, 2015 in the Visa Hall from 14:30-15:30 hours. During the Open House, any member of the Indian Community can interact, on issues under the consular jurisdiction of the High Commission in Colombo, which have not been resolved or for grievance redressal at the last resort, with concerned officers without any prior appointment, the release said.

The release further adds that this initiative needs to be seen as part of slew of measures taken by the High Commission for the benefit of Indian nationals. Some of these are listed below:-

Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) has been set up from which various kinds of assistance is provided to Indians in distress on case – to- case basis depending on the need and the financial condition of the individual

Visa services have been outsourced by the High Commission so that no one needs to visit the High Commission for the same. IVS Global is service provider for accepting applications for visa, passport, OCI and consular services from the public in the consular jurisdiction of the High Commission of India in Colombo, Consulate General of India in Jaffna and the Assistant High Commission of India in Kandy. More details are available at the following link: http://www.hcicolombo.org/announcements/display/157
The Embassy and the Consulate officials regularly visit the various jails to enquire and ensure the welfare of Indians in these jails and provide other consular services.

The details of various facilities provided by the missions and the contact numbers for the various services are available on the website of the High Commission (http://www.hcicolombo.org/)