Haryana, which was rocked by violent protests last month during the Jat agitation for jobs and educational quotas, has managed to attract a total potential investment of `5.84 lakh crore with the signing of 357 MoUs with different companies at the maiden two-days ‘Happening Haryana Global Investors’ Summit’ that concluded on Tuesday.
“The success of the Summit is measured by the fact that against the target of `one lakh crore, the State Government has signed 357 MoUs for a total potential investment of `5.84 lakh crore which is five hundred times more than the expectations of the government. The second summit would be held sometime in the year 2018, said Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar while addressing the valedictory session of the Summit in Gurgaon on Tuesday.
The ten-day long Jat agitation had resulted in more than 30 deaths and massive damage to property in Haryana, following which the State Government was apprehensive of attracting new investments during the summit.
During the inaugural day of the Summit, various dignitaries had raised the issue of recent Jat agitation in the State.
While industrialist Anand Mahindra, chairman and managing director of Mahindra Group had pointed out how the issue can possibly affect those considering investing in the state, the Chief Minister Manohar lal had assured the industrialists a safe environment to invest in Haryana.
Union Ministers Arun Jaitley and Venkiah Naidu also referred to the Jat quota stir during their address expressing confidence in the State Government to deal efficiently with such situations in the future.
Referring to the target fixed for attracting investment, the Chief Minister on Tuesday said that the positive response Haryana attracted from investors during his visits to US and Canada encouraged him to go ahead with the Summit after the Jat agitation.
He said that it is a matter of great satisfaction that 39 of the total MoUs involving investment of `1,28,000 crore are for the districts not falling in the national capital region. While 10 per cent of the MoUs are with MNCs, more than 30 per cent MoUs are of values ranging from `100 crore to `1,000 crore. About 26 per cent of the MoUs are in the MSME sector, he said. He assured that all necessary clearances would be granted within 30 days from the date of application.
Manohar lal said that he had always lamented the fact that the per capita income of Mewat was only one-tenth of Gurgaon, though these were adjoining districts. Unthoughful policies of the previous governments had resulted in glaring inequalities between different regions, he said.
“Since taking the oath of office as chief servant of the 2.5 crore people of the State, I have always asked officers, politicians and the common people to follow the mantra of Haryana Ek-Haryanavi Ek”, he added.
Manohar lal invited entrepreneurs to invest in the service sector and also assured that the State Government would extend all possible support to the investors and would also appoint relationship managers to facilitate them.
The Chief Minister also thanked the Ambassadors and High Commissioners of 12 partner-countries and each one of their 154 delegates, for having travelled long distances to participate in the Summit.