465. Status of OCI holders living in

India . . .

Questions: Dear Sir, I have been checking your website which provides a lot of information for NRIs. I have one following specific question. I hope I will get help from you. I am a US citizen and OCI. I am retired. I purchased property in Kerala and am planning to live here for long time. I wanted to apply for getting gas connection. I called Bharat Petroleum. I don't have a ration card. So I am supposed to sign an affidavit in which one of the items is: 'I am an Indian Citizen'. I don't think OCI is considered an Indian citizen. Please guide as to how shall I proceed. Thank you very much. With kind regards, Raj D Kaul Answer: You are correct when you say that OCI is not considered as being an Indian citizen. As an OCI holder and a full time resident of India, you are legally entitled to get a gas connection. OCI holders when placed in a situation where they are required to declare whether they are Indian citizens can clearly state their status as being an OVERSEAS CITIZEN OF INDIA. This is a classification actually coined by the government of India. It is not mandatory to be an Indian citizen to get a gas connection in India.