Amid mounting criticism from opposition over his three-day Dubai tour, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal has hit back saying that the foreign visit was only meant to attract investments for the State.
“If Dubai visit was meant for sightseeing, I would have spent more days there… I had a very hectic schedule there and held a series of meetings,” said the Chief Minister while talking to the mediapersons, moments after he returned from Dubai to New Delhi on Thursday night.
Responding to the allegations of former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda that such trips are for mere tourism purposes, Manohar lal said that those who are raising fingers on his tours are required to correct their knowledge about the figures.
The investment proposals of about Rs 86,000 crore in the state are on different stages of implementation, he said.
Giving details of his three-day tour, the Chief Minister said that during Dubai visit which has been undertaken with an aim to give impetus to the foreign investment in the state, he held 13 meetings with different entrepreneurial groups within just 44 hours.
We also got three-four opportunities for sightseeing, he added.
On being asked whether any MoUs were signed during his visit, the Chief Minister said that no MoUs were signed as there were only dialogue meetings held during his visit.
The entrepreneurs in Dubai have evinced keen interest in investing in Haryana in the field of infrastructure, healthcare and housing. A delegation from Dubai would visit Haryana in January, next year. There is a plan of organising buyer-sellers meet next month in Haryana, he added
He further said that the entrepreneurs in Dubai were impressed with the development taken place in Haryana as a result of the ease of doing business in the state and evinced keen interest in infrastructure development and healthcare especially in the scheme for setting up of medical college in each district of Haryana.
Besides, they have also shown interest in the import of wheat and rice from Haryana. Discussion was also held regarding sending skilled work force from Haryana to Dubai, he added.
Notably, the fourth foreign visit of the Chief Minister during his tenure had snowballed into a political controversy with the opposition accusing him of squandering public money on sightseeing trips abroad. Earlier this year, the Chief Minister had led a high level delegation to Singapore and Hong Kong in a bid to attract investments for Haryana.
Manohar lal, who assumed power in October 2014, went for his first tour abroad to the US and Canada in August 2015 and last year, he went to Japan and China in January 2016 to attract investments for the state.
lashing out at the Chief Minister for his foreign tours, former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda had said, “The crime rate is increasing in Haryana and the state was burnt thrice in the past three years. In this scenario, who will want to come here and investIJ”
Peaceful environment is a key factor that the potential investors look for before investing in any project, he had said.
Haryana INlD chief Ashok Arora had also took a dig at Manohar lal saying that Dubai visit is another sightseeing opportunity for the Chief Minister.