IndiaPost.com - Chouhan lists investor friendly policies in MP

India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Southern California warmly welcomed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on his visit to Los Angeles May 13. The Chief Minister was accompanied by a high-powered delegation of politicians and bureaucrats. With him were Kailash Vijay Vargiya, Minister for Public Works, Energy and Information Technology, Babulal Gaur, former CM and current minister for Industries, Anurag Jain, Secretary to CM, OP Rawat, Principal Secretary, Praveen Garg, Managing Director MP Tourism and around twenty officials.

The dignitaries were feted at the dinner reception jointly hosted by the US Asia Business Forum, The Shah Foundation, FICCA and friends of Madhya Pradesh. Present at the reception were some of the leading entrepreneurs from southern California Indian community. Also present were some members of Vietnamese and Philippine business groups.

After the introductions and the welcome address by Kishore Kaul, Pravin Garg spoke to the guests. He emphasized on Madhya Pradesh’s investor friendly policies and invited NRIs to invest in his state. Likewise Ashwani Lohani, Managing Director MP Tourism, briefed the guests on MP’s vast tourist potential.

He said that although MP didn’t have beaches like Goa or high mountains like Uttaranchal, the state have still has the best tourism opportunities in India. There was a video presentation to highlight MP’s industrial potential made by the MP State Industrial Development Cooperation. The video film gave the guests an insight to MP’s booming industrial infrastructure.

Consul Soman Bagchi’s from the Indian consulate in San Francisco also addressed the audience. Anurag Jain secretary to the Chief Minister introduced the CM to the gathering. Speaking in chaste, clear Hindi Shivraj Singh Chouhan spoke on number of issues. Soft spoken and extremely articulate Chouhan is not a stereotyped Indian politician.

His address to the audience seemed more of a person-to-person contact. This indeed is a whiff of fresh air. Chouhan spoke of the industrial climate in MP and assured investors of all the assistance and, above all, single window clearance. He also touched other areas like communication, agriculture, etc. The CM offered cheap land and subsidized electricity to investors.

He also spoke on Madhya Pradesh’s vast tourist infrastructure and of tourism avenues in his state. He assures investors of a healthy industrial and political climate attributing it to the low crime rate in MP. Certificates of recognition and plaques were presented to the visitors who in turn presented gifts to the hosts. Amongst these was a model of Buddhist monastery presented by the Chief Minster to Kishor Kaul. There was a Q&A session and the evening concluded with dinner.

BEVERLY HILLS: The visiting chief minister and his delegation were hosted at a morning reception March 14. Organized by the Government of India Tourism Office (Goito), the reception was attended by leading luminaries of the travel and tourism industry. Vikas Rustagi, Director Goito welcomed the dignitaries and the guests. After the welcome address, MP tourism chief Ashwani Lohani gave video presentation on tourism and tourist sites in his states.

CM Shivraj Singh invited the guests to visit MP. He announced the Bhopal and Indore Airports will become International within a very short time. The state government was setting up an air taxi service with a fleet of passenger helicopters and small planes to connect all tourist destinations in the state. Khajuraho would be the hub of this air-taxi service. New airstrips are being built where they are required and existing ones are being fixed and refurbished. Panna is a diamond-mining town located near Satna and Khajuraho.

The CM said that a company has been given a contract to survey diamond mining in that area. The morning ended with snacks and tea.