kdsingh80 Posted January 21, 2011 Report Share Posted January 21, 2011 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/nri/news/Visiting-Punjabi-NRIs-give-zero-Gujaratis-shower-450-billion/articleshow/7325692.cms CHANDIGARH: All that Punjab has been getting from its visiting NRIs is talk, demands and suggestions. In stark contrast, Gujarat has been able to garner $450 billion of investment intent during the annual Vibrant Gujarat convention for NRIs this year, while Punjab government failed to attract even a penny worth of investment offer during its version of convention held at Jalandhar on Tuesday. Though the government officially denied calling it an investment meet, deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal made a power point presentation aimed at attracting investments. When asked about the quantum of commitments for investment by NRIs, the deputy chief minister claimed that the function was not organized for attracting investments but only to strengthen bonds with NRIs. Meanwhile, an interaction with various NRIs revealed that they were not yet convinced by the government's claims of having created a congenial atmosphere for investment in Punjab. Sarabjit Deol, who is active in Liberal Party in Canada, said though similar announcements and promises had been made three years ago, there was no visible difference on the ground. In fact, the Punjabi version of the conference also did not see NRIs of profiles that have surplus money for investments. One of the NRI leaders Satnam Singh Chahal, who could not attend the meet due to a last minute invite, said that the government seems to be targeting NRIs as such, whether poor or rich as they are potential voters rather than investors. In fact, this convention has come after a gap of three years indicating it was more for political reasons than for investments that are anyway drying up in Punjab because of the state government's inability to offer concessions that other states are giving. Even the early advantage of good infrastructure is no more there with major components in an economic activity – land and labour — being quite costly in the state. Giving it a political twist, NRI cell chief of Akali Dal, Surjeet Singh Rakhra said NRIs are still haunted by memories of violence and 1984 riots. He said there is hope now that NRIs will invest in their villages with the government announcing a scheme to contribute 75% from its coffers in rural infrastructure if NRIs chip in with 25%. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted January 22, 2011 Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 (edited) I'm not surprised. They are seriously crooked in Panjab. Hell, nearly every family I know of has a tale of how they were ripped off by their relatives back home. A complete breakdown of trust in the infrastructure if you ask me. lol Edited January 22, 2011 by dalsingh101 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdsingh80 Posted January 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2011 I'm not surprised. They are seriously crooked in Panjab. Hell, nearly every family I know of has a tale of how they were ripped off by their relatives back home. A complete breakdown of trust in the infrastructure if you ask me. lol It means that Gujrati's are much better than sikhs as Gujarati Hindu's are heavily investing in Gujarat.They don't have cheating relative's? If I am not wrong almost every community has this type of problem in India. Anyway my take on this is that at present Punjab has nothing to offer for investors.Totally land locked,high land price ,bordering Pakistan,lack of availability of cheap trained manpower etc and when it comes to investment people prefer to invest in emerging enemies economy rather than downtrodden economy of their own 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyhp32 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 The journalist who wrote the article is an idiot. The Vibrant Gujarat is an economic summit not just for Gujarati NRIs but for foreign investors, which is held twice yearly. The Punjabi version is a cynical attempt to get Punjabi NRIs to show support for the ruling party and get some publicity for the various chumchas of the ruling party. In any case the $450BN is in the form of memorandum of understanding, not enforcible by law but basically letters of common intent. I would be surprised if even 10% of these M.O.Us are realised. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSD1 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 God damn gujis. Where do they get all that money from? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 (edited) God damn gujis. Where do they get all that money from? By being legendarily stingy and opening up Post Offices I'd bet? Like Russel Peters says, all Indians are stingy, Gujis just go that extra mile. Plus our lot seem to spend a lot of their money on booze and fancy pant weddings for their daughters <he says looking at his vintage collection of Johnny Walker Black Label, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute etc. etc. etc.> Actually the booze and ostentatiousness 'bill' for weddings probably clears 25% of their savings at a time. No wonder they kill unborn daughters so often..... Edited January 23, 2011 by dalsingh101 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdsingh80 Posted January 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110124/punjab.htm#13 ‘NRIs shy of investing in state’ Kuldip Bhatia Ludhiana, January 23 Punjab comes a cropper as far as investment by NRIs, especially Punjabis settled abroad, is concerned because the successive governments have failed to inculcate a sense of confidence in the Indian diaspora and remove other deterrents in the way of the free flow of capital investment by NRIs in the state. These observations were made by Peter Sandhu, a Progressive Conservative party MLA from Edmonton Manning constituency in Alberta state of Canada, here today. Sandhu, who is on a private visit here, came down heavily on the political set-up, specifically the police and the revenue department, accusing them of causing avoidable harassment to NRIs during their annual visits to their native places in Punjab. “The NRI community is apprehensive about making investments in Punjab just because they feel their investment is not safe and the government does nothing to dispel their belief,” he said. He said the Punjab Government ought to take a leaf or two from the book of the Gujarat Government which had been hardselling the state as a potential investment destination. Gujarat attracted a massive investment of $450 million dollars from NRIs as against just about Rs 5,000 crore NRI investment in Punjab. He said, “harassment of NRIs by the police” in cases related to property, delay in matters related to the Revenue Department and the apathy on the part of the administrative set-up as well as political system towards predicament of NRIs over the period, had created a mistrust in the minds of Indians settled abroad 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted January 23, 2011 Report Share Posted January 23, 2011 He said, “harassment of NRIs by the police” in cases related to property, delay in matters related to the Revenue Department and the apathy on the part of the administrative set-up as well as political system towards predicament of NRIs over the period, had created a mistrust in the minds of Indians settled abroad Hell yeah! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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