SUKHBIR REQUESTS PM FOR EXPEDITING THE SETTING UP OF A VISA CENTRE AT ATTARI BORDER

• DEMANDS  EARLY NOTIFICATION OF FULL DRY PORT STATUS FOR ATTARI BORDER  
• FREE ACCESS TO GURUDWARA KARTARPUR SAHIB-REQUESTS PM TO TAKE UP ISSUE WITH PAK

Kochi, January 8: The Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal today requested Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Union External Affairs Minister Mr. Salman Khurshid to take early steps for setting up of visa centre at Amritsar to meet the demand of increased business and trade activities through ICP at Attari border.

In an informal meeting with Prime Minister and Union External Affairs Minister on the sidelines of 11^th Parvasi Bhartiya Divas inaugurated by Prime Minister here today, Mr. Badal requested Prime Minister to take up with his counterpart in Pakistan the issue of up-gradation of infrastructure facilities on Pakistan side as exporters and importers were facing bottlenecks at Pakistan side and perishable goods exporters were the worst sufferers. He also requested Prime Minster and Union External Affairs Minister to expedite the notification of Attari as full-fledged dry port, allowing export and import of 6000 goods as agreed with the Pakistan

government. He said that the Punjab government on its end had already 8 laned the road to Attari and was ready to provide total infrastructure support to Union government for successful implementation of this proposal.

Raising the issue of a corridor to Sri Kartarpur Sahib, Mr. Badal requested Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to personally request Pakistan Prime Minister to provide this corridor to the Sikh pilgrims at the earliest. He said that he was receiving scores of delegations of Sikhs from all over the country requesting for free access to the famous Gurudwara of first Guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji situated at Kartarpur Sahib. He said that every Sikh in this country has a great hope that Prime Minister being himself a Sikh would understand their emotions and would take up this issue earnestly with Pakistan government for fulfilling their lifelong desire.

Earlier, Mr. Badal also met NRI delegates from various countries and impressed upon them that Punjab was future land of opportunities for investment and growth. He said that Punjab government would soon notify a New Industrial Promotion Policy and an Industrial Policy in the state that had been drafted after consultation with top industrialists of the country. Mr. Badal told them about the upcoming Medi-city and Edu-city in new Chandigarh, besides a textile hub in the Malwa belt. Mr. Badal informed them that the Punjab government has already acquired land near Mohali International Airport for IT city and top IT companies including hardware companies were vying with each other to set up their units in the IT City.

Elaborating upon the concession being given to the hospitality sector and realty sector, Mr. Badal said that the new industrial policy would give the industry status to Realty, Hospitality and Health sectors. Mr. Badal said that after the grand success of 108 Ambulance Service, the Punjab government was chalking out a scheme to give a new boost to medical insurance of its 17 lac poor families and a hospital chain with the network of health centres in rural areas would be the direct beneficiary of this scheme.

Earlier, Mr. Badal also met President of Mauritius Mr. Rajkeswur Purryag, Kerala Chief Minister Mr. Oommen Chandy, Union Urban Development Minister Mr. Kamal Nath, Union Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Mr. Vayalar Ravi, Minister of State for Human Resource Development Mr. Shashi Tharoor, Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission of India Mr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and Minister of State for External Affairs Mr. E. Ahammed and various Ministers from Canada.

Tomorrow on the concluding day there would be sessions of 6 states including that of Punjab where every state government would showcase its state policies to attract investment from Indian Diaspora.