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Badal govt set to
roll out red carpet for non-resident Punjabis
WSN Network
CHANDIGARH: The Akali Dal-BJP government has set "we care for you"
motto as one of the major messages to be sent across to the Punjabi
diaspora during the two-day jamboree from January 5 here.
Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh, who is also Principal Secretary
NRI Affairs, held a meeting of the Steering Committee comprising
senior officers of various departments to review arrangements and
programmes of the International Punjabi NRI Sammelan.
Well-known Punjabi NRI and former British Columbia Premier Ujjal
Dosanjh, European Parliament member Neena Gill from Belgium, New
York-based businessman and friend of former US president Bill
Clinton Sant Singh Chatwal, Lord Daljit Singh Rana (UK) and Dr Ruby
Dhalla, MP (Canada), would be the star attractions of the conclave.
The first-day will have three sessions. On January 6, a function
would be held at Jalandhar. SAD working president Sukhbir Singh
Badal will be the key speaker in the first session, focussing on the
vision of Punjab. Different departments will also give power point
presentation in this session followed by a documentary film on
Punjab emerging as a preferred destination for investment. In the
second session, on legal perspective for NRIs, Advocate General H.S.
Mattewal will be the main speaker, while the last session will focus
on the role of the NRIs in the development of Punjab. The Secretary
Employment Generation, N.S. Kalsi, will make the power point
presentation in this session.
The state government has chalked out a strategy to use this occasion
as an ideal platform to redress the grievances of NRIs and hammer
out a concrete policy for their welfare. Besides, the government
would try to convince the guests that the state offers a hospitable
investor-friendly environment.
Ramesh Inder Singh said: "One of the major objectives of this
sammelan is to send a clear message to all the Punjabi NRIs that we
care for them."
The Punjabi diaspora has an important role to play in helping Punjab
move on the path of development, Ramesh Inder Singh said. "We will
devote a full session to know about their problems back home and how
they want the state government to tackle them. The focus would also
be on how they want to contribute for the development of the state,"
he added.
Ramesh Inder Singh said Punjabi NRIs have been facing numerous
problems pertaining to their properties and the state government
will seek their views to overcome them. "We also want to share with
them, among other things, as to what can be done to overcome their
various problems here," he added.
The Commissioner NRI Affairs, A.S. Chhatwal, said over 160 Punjabi
NRIs had confirmed their participation and that near 200 were
expected to attend the function. "This is an exercise to unite the
Punjabi diaspora," he said.
"The idea is to create a good will and make them feel that we
actually care for them and they can contribute to help Punjab grow,"
he said.
The indication of the state government looking forward to tap the
potential of the Punjabi NRIs in development of the state had become
evident when the SAD-BJP government had set up a separate ministry
for NRI Affairs and Badal keeping this portfolio with himself.
2 January 2008
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