A 94-year-old Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Kondragunta Mahalakshmamma, has appealed to authorities for the restoration of her Indian citizenship, expressing a heartfelt wish to spend her final years in her native village and be laid to rest in her homeland.
Mahalakshmamma hails from Chintagumpala village in Chinaganjam mandal of Bapatla district, Andhra Pradesh. After the death of her husband, Nagabhushanam, she moved to the United States to live with her son, Dr. Kondragunta Buchaiah Chowdary, a renowned cancer specialist based in Petersburg, Virginia. She obtained U.S. citizenship on July 27, 2000, and lived there for nearly 18 years.
In 2018, Mahalakshmamma returned to her native village along with her family. Since then, she has been residing in Chintagumpala. Her son, Dr. Buchaiah Chowdary, currently serves as the Director of NRI Medical College in Mangalagiri.
Determined to spend the rest of her life in India as an Indian citizen, Mahalakshmamma renounced her U.S. citizenship and applied online for the restoration of her Indian citizenship. As part of the legal process, her application was reviewed during an inquiry conducted by Bapatla District Collector J. Venkata Vinod Kumar.
During the hearing, Mahalakshmamma pledged to uphold the Constitution of India and abide by the country's laws. She requested the authorities to grant her the legal right to live in her homeland during her advanced years.
Responding to her plea, the District Collector stated that the inquiry process would be completed and a report would be forwarded to the State Government. The report would subsequently be sent to the Central Government for further consideration. He expressed confidence that, upon completion of the required procedures, Mahalakshmamma's Indian citizenship application would be processed at the earliest.
Her son, Dr. Buchaiah Chowdary, was present during the proceedings and assisted with the documentation and formalities.
