Bangalore: The Centre is thinking of establishing economic zones for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), christened "City within a city" in State capitals, Union Minister of State for Non-Resident Affairs, Jagdish Tytler said today (July 3, 2004).

Tytler said the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has approved this proposal. NRIs hailing from those States would be given special concessions in the zones of the capitals, he said. Such zones would have all facilities like schools and hospitals.

He said he has already discussed the matter with Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh in this regard.

Infrastructure for such zones would have to be provided by respective Governments.

Tytler also said that as high as 10,000 girls have been left in the lurch in Punjab by NRI "frauds' after their marriage. Similar is the case in Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Government would appoint a Commission in those four States and it would interact with Indian embassies to address the problem.

Problems faced by Indian migrants, particularly in the Gulf, would be also be addressed, he said, adding, steps would be taken to protect the properties left behind by NRIs. Tytler was speaking at the 12th anniversary celebration of the Returned NRI Association in Bangalore.