Chandigarh, June 24 (IANS) The Punjab government has approved the setting up of a four-member state commission for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to protect their interests in the state, officials said Friday.

 
 The NRI commission would be headed by a retired high court judge, a state government spokesman said here.
 
 Other members of the commission would be senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and two members nominated from among people having knowledge of matters and issues relating to NRIs, the spokesman added.
 
 The chairperson and the members would be appointed by the state government for a period of three years, he said. The commission will be headquartered at Chandigarh.
 
 He said that the commission would have all the powers of the civil court and can summon people, seek documents and public record and examine witnesses.
 
 Thousands of people from Punjab are settled in other countries, particularly in the US, Canada, Britain, and other European countries, Australia, New Zealand and south-east Asian countries.
 
 The Doaba belt of Punjab, the area between Sutlej and Beas rivers comprising districts of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala, are well-known for NRIs settled in other countries.