UK Delegation Meets Sukhbir Badal to invest in energy, solid waste management and creation of e-knowledge in the young population.

Evinces interest to invest in Solid Waste Management, Renewable Energy and other sectors in Punjab

Chandigarh, November 13:

A seven member delegation headed by the Mrs. Baroness Verma, Parliamentary Under Secretary for United Kingdom met Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal at his residence last evening and emphasised that they were focusing on 3 states namely Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to cooperate and improve initiatives in these states in the fields of renewable energy, solid waste management and creation of e-knowledge in the young population.

 They apprised the Deputy CM that they were interested that officials of the Punjab Government tie up with the officials of the United Kingdom  delegation and exchange details about procedures via which entrepreneurs of UK could come and study the investment scenario in Punjab for making investments in these sectors.

            Deputy Chief Minister assured Mrs. Verma fullest cooperation from the side of state government and informed them about the first of its kind initiative taken by the Punjab government by creating Invest Punjab where under one CEO all clearances of all departments  were made and handed over to the entrepreneurs interested in making investments in the state. The Deputy CM requested the delegation that he would be extremely glad if the companies of United Kingdom could come and share their technology and make investments in the field of solid waste management in major urban centres of Punjab. He also requested the Deputy Secretary to the government of UK that another area of mutual cooperation and benefit for both United Kingdom and the state of Punjab was the area of creation of machinery/infrastructure to harness solar energy. He said requisite skill transfer was needed in this regard and this sector would greatly benefit if companies from UK share their expertise on this subject with Punjab and invest in this sector. The UK delegation was very impressed with the initiatives taken by Punjab Government in the area of making the state surplus in power generating capacity from a deficit state in  just 7 years under the leadership of Deputy CM. They promised of some concrete initiative to take the decisions made in the meeting to logical end.

The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Investment Mr. Karan Avtar Singh , CEO Invest Punjab Mr. Anirudh Tewari, Principal Secretary to Deputy CM Mr. P.S. Aujla and Special Principal Secretary to Deputy CM Mr. Rahul Tewari.  

• NRI, UK industrialist, Lord Swraj Paul to lead UK Parliamentary delegation to West Bengal
  

Baroness Verma (Sandip Verma)

Sandip Verma, Baroness Verma, 49, was born in Amritsar in Punjab, India on 1959.

She is a British businesswoman, member of the House of Lords and currently Opposition Whip and Opposition Spokesperson for Education and Skills and for Health. In 2006 Baroness Verma was made a Patron of the Tory Reform Group

She moved as child with her parents to England in 1960. She was created a Conservative life peer as Baroness Verma, of Leicester in the County of Leicestershire in May 2006, having been an unsuccessful parliamentary candidate in two general elections (2001 and 2005). Since 1977, Baroness Verma has been married to Ashok Verma. They have a daughter and a son.