Times of India, 4 August 2015
GAYA: In a major initiative to boost tourism in the area, particularly invite more foot falls at the World famous Mahabodhi temple, the seat of Buddha’s enlightenment and a Unesco notified World Heritage site, the government of India has approved on arrival E Visa facility at Gaya International Airport for visitors from 87 countries of the World including the whole of Europe, USA, Japan, South Korea and Thailand etc.
The facility is likely to be introduced before the onset of tourist season 2015-16 beginning October this year. Participants at the Kalchakra 2016, the most important Buddhist ritual conducted by his Holiness, the Dalai Lama would benefit from the on arrival e Visa facility.
Immigration system at the airport is being designed to meet the logistical requirements of on arrival E visa. However visitors from neighbouring Pakistan would not be in a position to avail the on arrival E visa facility as thorough back ground check of visitors from the country is conducted by the Indian Embassy in Islamabad before granting visa to Pakistan nationals.
Pakistan nationals, according to sources, have been kept out of the on arrival Visa facility for security reasons as the country has been exporting Jihadis and other subversive elements to the country and as such thorough verification of the credentials of Visa aspirants from Pakistan is required.
Sources also say that even Pakistan origin American and European country nationals including those from Britain and France etc will not be entitled to on arrival E visa facility. Pak origin nationals of other countries too figure high on the radar of the security agencies.
Only recently a Karachi (Pakistan) born Thai national allegedly committed massive fraud in Bodh Gaya and made a successful exit from the country taking advantage of the foreign national tag and reluctance of local police to act against offenders from outside the country.
Confirming the on arrival E Visa facility at Gaya International Airport for the passport holders of 87 different countries, Gaya Airport Director Dilip Kumar said that Gaya airport is the only one from eastern India selected for on arrival E Visa facility. However, Dilip Kumar did not reveal the exact schedule of the introduction of the facility. According to him, Immigration officials were engaged in readying the mechanism for the implementation of the on arrival E Visa scheme. However he said that the facility will soon be available at the Gaya International Airport.
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