Members of the Indian community who do not have an Indian passport could soon have to apply for a new identity card, it has emerged.

The Indian government is considering merging two existing identity cards to help streamline the immigration system, Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh told over 1,300 delegates attending the ninth Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in New Delhi yesterday.

This would involve combining the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card and the Person of Indian Origin (PIO) card into a single facility.

The cards were introduced to allow their carriers visa-free travel to India, providing them rights of residency, business and education.

They are issued by the Indian Embassy in Bahrain to people who do not have an Indian passport.

Those entitled to the cards include people of Indian origin who have adopted another nationality.

Details of the plan were announced during a major gathering of non-resident Indians (NRIs) at Vigyan Bhawan.

A delegation of Indian community leaders, journalists and businessmen are attending the conference from Bahrain.

Dr Singh said he hoped the granting of voting rights to expat Indians would freshen up Indian politics.

'Since we met last year, we have enacted a law which has accorded non-resident citizens the right to register themselves in the electoral rolls of their constituencies,' he said.

'Our government is framing appropriate procedures to give effect to this new legal provision which will give NRIs their legitimate right to participate in the country's electoral process.'

To protect the rights of overseas Indian migrant workers, Dr Singh said the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs was planning a skills initiative programme for people from the North Eastern region of India - promoting technical skills in hospitality and healthcare.

Dr Singh said that India's economy is likely to grow between nine and 10 per cent from the next fiscal year that starts on April 1, after growing 8.5 per cent in the current year.

India's domestically-powered economy grew 8.9 per cent in the September quarter - matching the revised figure for the previous quarter - defying weakness elsewhere. The premier's forecast was above the previous official forecast of 9 per cent.

'Despite the uncertain global economic scenario, I am happy that our economic recovery is progressing very well,' Dr Singh said.

Singh remained silent on inflation, but Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee acknowledged the need to control it.

'We have to take all measures to keep inflation at a moderate level,' Mukherjee said.

The Congress-led government's failure to control inflation and a series of graft scandals including an alleged $39 billion telecoms scam, corruption accusations over last year's Commonwealth Games and the resurrection of a 25-year-old defence contract kickback scandal are seen eroding its public support.-TradeArabia News Service