Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav cancelled his visit to Ahmedabad where he was expected to chair a session during the 13th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas as his flight could not take off from Saifai airport due to bad weather, officials said here on Friday.Yadav was slated to address more than 150 Non-Residential Indians (NRIs) in Gandhinagar.
Officials rue that Chief Minister’s absence has hit Government plans as Yadav was slated to give a presentation before a group of NRIs. “He was also scheduled to interact with NRIs and apprise them of the schemes and sops offered for investing in the state,” he said. UP government’s NRI Department advisor Madhukar Jetley, who headed UP’s delegation in the absence of Chief Minister said NRIs have shown interest to invest in UP.
Talking to The Pioneer from Gandhinagar Jaitley said that the response from investors was overwhelming. The NRIs enquired about the investment opportunity in the state and the facilities government can extend to them, he said. “Over 150 NRIs who have their base in Uttar Pradesh showed keen interest in the state of their forefathers. They also enquired about different sectors in which they can invest money,” Jatley said and added: “We have invited them to invest in infrastructure. We want them to set up institution, hospitals, schools, colleges in the memory of their forefathers. Government will act as facilitator in this endeavour.”
Jaitley held a meeting with deputy prime minister of Mauritius Shaukat Ali Sudan in gandhi Nagar and apprised him of the pro-investors policies introduced by the government. “We talked in detail about development in infrastructure being carried out in Uttar Pradesh in last three years. I told him about possibilities of investments in health care, food and processing, tourism and power sectors,” Jaitley said.
The Uttar Pradesh delegation led by Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan also met a delegation of Europe India Business Council for Trade and Investment, Netherlands and also met Chairman, Heritage Communications Trinidad and Tubago Hans Hanuman Singh. Uttar Pradesh has showcased its schemes and programmes highlighting Government’s efforts to bring Metro rail to lucknow and constructing Agra-lucknow Expressway. Government’s efforts to develop lucknow as IT Hub was also showcased in the meet.
“We are also moving in the fast internet corridors as Uttar Pradesh will soon become one of the first states in the country to get a 4G network,” Ranjan said. Meanwhile, the state government also plans to celebrate its first ever ‘Uttar Pradesh NRI Divas’ which will be held in Agra from February 28
to March 1.