Indian power projects of 4,000 megawatts (MW) capacity may miss their March commissioning date due to a shortage of engineers from Chinese firms that sold the equipment, junior power minister Bharatsinh Solanki said.
India asked all foreign nationals including Chinese engineers to leave the country by October 31, after it found that many with business visas, which are different from work permits, were taking up employment locally.
"The ministry of power has requested the ministry of home affairs to expedite issuing of employment visas to the Chinese engineers so that plants can be completed on time," Solanki told lawmakers in a written reply on Monday.
In July, India announced business visas will be issued only to businessmen and that business visa holders employed in India would have to apply for employment visas.
India has issued 38,924 business visas to Chinese nationals until October 2009, while 58,658 visas were issued in calendar 2008.
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