NRI leader calls on Minister Rana Sodhi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 5

Karan Randhawa, general secretary, Indian Overseas Congress (IOC), Australia, (Punjab chapter), met NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi and shared with him a roadmap on employment opportunities for Punjabi youth in Australia. Randhawa said to encourage NRI investments in Punjab, the government must open a help desk here. The help desk would let them know regarding various facilities that are being provided by the Punjab government.

There is indeed a need to have offices which act as the nodal contacts for disseminating information, providing background details for prospective investors and businesses, reaching out to the diaspora. Hence, it is recommended to Punjab government to set up helpdesk offices overseas to promote foreign investment to Punjab, facilitating export opportunities from Punjab to the world, pave way for the NRIs’ contribution in the development of Punjab’s rural infrastructure, encourage different philanthropic activities and social welfare initiatives on their part.

These help desk offices may also act as nodal offices for NRIs issues. So, to effectively consolidate these activities it is imperative that Punjab government should register presence in major countries where majority of Punjab diaspora resides. The institutional structure such as offshore facilities and helpdesk offices that engages the diaspora will assist Punjab in employment generation and overall socio-economic development.