Haryana aims to develop rural areas into smart villages
The Haryana government urged the expatriate Haryanvis to be a part of ‘Self-motivated model village scheme’ and help in the development of rural Haryana
In a bid to modernise its villages, the government of Haryana has set up two Non-Resident Indian (NRI) cells to invite investments from NRIs belonging to the state, thus allowing them to contribute to the development and also reconnect themselves with their roots.
Haryana Pravasi Divas (Haryana expatriate day), organised by the Government of Haryana in Gurugram on January 10 and 11, not only touched the emotional chords of the many resident and non-resident Haryanvis but also provided an opportunity for the NRIs having their roots in the state to explore business options and contribute towards the development of their ‘home state’.
Apart from the NRIs, the event was also special for the Haryana government as they appealed the diaspora members to invest in their state, especially for the development of the rural areas. The government also announced some measures to facilitate trade and investment, and ensure ease of doing business in Haryana.
“The Haryana NRI cell has been launched for a focused facilitation of pravasis (expats), and NRIs can contact the cell for business queries, investment interest and other suggestions,” said Manohar Lal, Chief Minister, Haryana.
To facilitate better business, the Haryana government has also modified more than 300 laws, rules and procedures, and has brought the state among the top five states in the World Bank’s index of ease of doing business among Indian states.
The government also urged the expatriate Haryanvis to be a part of the Swa-prerit Adarsh Gram Yojana (Self-motivated model village scheme) and help in the development of rural Haryana.
Urging the pravasis to connect with their roots, Union steel minister, Birender Singh also exclaimed that their contribution would be of great help in the speedy development of the state.
More than 400 people of Haryanvi origin from 33 different countries attended the celebrations and 23 of them have offered to invest in various welfare projects.
“24 MoUs involving potential investment of INR 200 billion have been signed during Pravasi Haryana Divas celebrations in Gurugram and these would provide employment opportunities to 43,000 people,” said Manohar Lal.
Along with the NRIs, with a view to promote self-governance in villages, Haryana Development and Panchayats Minister, OP Dhankar, also urged the people living in the villages to formulate and implement development schemes for their own villages, with the support and guidance of the officers of the department.
“Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has been working closely with the state government to improve productivity, generate employment and improve the plight of the underprivileged sections of society. This is the right time to invest in the state as there are a lot of opportunities,” said Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice-president, CII.
