The Consul General of Canada, Christopher Gibbins and Haryana Chief Secretary DS Dhesi on Tuesday discussed the possibilities of mutual cooperation in various fields, including Smart City, horticulture,
skill development and higher education.
Gibbins, who called on Dhesi here said that Canada would showcase several horticultural techniques at the ‘Agro Tech fair’ to be held in Chandigarh in November this year, which would also benefit the farmers of Haryana.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary informed that two cities of Haryana, namely Karnal and Faridabad, have been included in the list of 100 cities to be developed as ‘smart cities’ under a Central Government project.
Work under the project has already been started in Faridabad, which has been included in the second phase of the project.
The city offers abundant possibilities for trade and industry. Apart from this, a proposal to include Karnal in the third phase of the project has been sent to the Central Government, he added.
Dhesi informed that with a view to ensure systematic economic development of the areas adjoining national highways, the State Government is planning to develop a series of special theme parks along the 135-kilomentre Kundli-Manesar-Palwal (KMP) Expressway.
This Expressway passes through districts of Sonepat, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Gurgaon, Mewat and Palwal. The Palwal-Manesar section of the Expressway has already been completed, he added. The ‘Happening Haryana Global Investors’ Summit-2016’ organised at Gurgaon in March this year was a resounding success, with 359 memoranda of understanding to the tune of ` 5.84 lakh crore signed with several Indian and foreign companies. Work on some of these agreements has already been started, he said.
Besides, a single roof clearance system had been launched to facilitate entrepreneurs and ensure ‘ease of doing business’, said Dhesi.