A joint business interaction organised by the Jalandhar-based Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) and the Consulate General of Canada to explore the avenues of mutual business between the two countries,turned into a complaint forum where several local businessman expressed their grievances on visa allotment and delays. Both Counsel General Scott Sesslor and Trade Commissioner to Canada Gurbans Sobti said visa issues were not under their purview. Sesslor,however,said Canadian authorities were grappling with illegal human trafficking and had therefore toughened the requirements. After noticing that interaction was getting derailed from the main theme of the seminar,Sobti asked the entrepreneurs to ask questions related to business like technology transfer,partnership between India and Canadian companies for joint ventures. Senior Assistant Director of EEPC Opinder Singh said the idea of the joint seminar was to facilitate interaction between Indian entrepreneurs of the region and Canadian authorities to promote business. A large number of entrepreneurs and industry leaders expressed that they were denied visas to Canada and till the time this issue was not sorted out the business ties between the two countries could hardly move ahead. Tehal Singh Seehra,manufacturer and exporter of agriculture implements,pointed out that their association had paid fee for participating in a trade fair on agriculture implements in Canada but they were denied visa without any reason and even the booking fee was not returned to them.
