Aiming to attract NRIs to their roots in Uttar Pradesh, the state government will hold its first UP Pravasi Divas (UPPD) or UPNRI Day from January 4 to 6 in Agra. At the function, the NRIs would be asked to contribute to the development of the state. The UPPD would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in the evening of January 4.
With a target to invite around 150 NRIs in this meet, Principal Secretary, UP NRI Department, Sanjeev Saran admitted that 21 people have so far confirmed their participation in the programme while 60 others have made formal enquiries.
“It is still a few weeks to go and we expect to get enough number of NRIs participating in the function,” Saran said but refused to elaborate as from where these NRIs would be coming.
The UP government proposes to invite the NRIs to set up schools, hospitals and other infrastructure in their ancestral villages. The state government will provide all facility and will act as the facilitator.
Saran said a number of eminent personalities, industry captains, venture capitalists and film makers have been invited to speak at the session in UPPD. “All these persons will talk about UP and resources available in this state. Most of these persons belong to UP,” he said. The Chief Minister will also give UP Ratna awards to some of the NRIs.
The Principal Secretary said that during the function, a MoU would also be signed between UP government and Global Organisation of People of India (GOPI) so that more people of the state could be attracted for their participation in the developmental projects in future.
The official said that this UPPD is not involved in any projection for attracting investments in UP. He also did not disclose the expenditure to be incurred by the government for holding the meet.