SAD Member of Parliament from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Friday envisaged full support and cooperation from the Australian Government to safeguard the interests of Indians specially the Punjabi Diaspora.
She has also sought reciprocal visits of experts from the two countries with a focus on Punjab and Punjabi Diaspora.
Harsimrat, who was a part of the Indian Parliamentary delegation during a visit to Australia from May 29 to June 7, held detailed discussions on a host of issues ranging from energy, food security and water, uranium supplies, climate change and mutual cooperation in the field of agriculture, food and water management.
Seeking expertise and technical assistance for recharging water table which is depleting at an alarming rate in the State, Harsimrat said that Punjab being the leading agricultural zone and country’s food basket was striving hard to conserve its natural resources in form of water and land.
Harsimrat also had parleys with Prof Hector and his team on water resources management, Australian and Indian Water Policy and Management, rural and urban water and climate changes. She sought a time-tested and viable technology for the cleaning of ponds in villages across the state, which was hazardous to the very life of the people living in the rural areas.
She also urged the Australian Government to mobilise local entrepreneurs and investors to make huge investments in Punjab which was now being looked at as the most preferred destination in the wake of recent package of incentives adding, she said there was tremendous scope for agro processing, small scale and manufacturing industry in Punjab.