Chautala’s beat the heat drive takes him West

With the hot summer sun becoming unbearable, it is time for Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to head for Europe. He is packing bag...

With the hot summer sun becoming unbearable, it is time for Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to head for Europe. He is packing bags for his fifth foreign tour since taking over the reins of the state. And like the previous trips, this one too has been planned ostensibly to bring dollars and pounds to the state. The duration of the visit which takes Chautala to cold climes, would tentatively be of two weeks, and he takes off, barring any last-minute change, on June 11.

Chautala’s destination this time is Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy and France. The architect of the tour is Harbaksh Singh, Managing Director of the Haryana Industrial Development Corporation. Prem Singh, executive officer and vice-chairman of the Foreign Investment Board, also forms part of the team moving out to woo foreign investors.

Maya off to US, UK

LUCKNOW: UP Chief Minister Mayawati is set to embark on her foreign tour from May 25 in order to attract foreign investment in the state. Official sources said Mayawati would visit the UK Canada and the US during her fortnight-long tour, her first during her third tenure as Chief Minister.

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Sources said Mayawati is also scheduled to attend the Indo-us business council meeting in New York along with MP Chief Minister Digvijay Singh and Union Law Minister Arun Jaitley on June 2. (Agencies)

Notwithstanding the insignificant outcome of the previous four visits, an officer in the CM’s office involved in arranging the present one, expressed hope that it would bring significant results.

Chautala has so far been on four foreign tours. The government came out with gain claims on the first two visits but when these failed to materialise, it chose to keep mum at the end of the other two jaunts.

The first tour was conducted to South-East Asian countries, including Singapore, Japan and South Korea, in October, 2000. The second tour was arranged in June, 2002 when the CM visited the USA, UK, Canada, France, the Netherlands, Hong Kong and China followed by another in September to destinations such as London, France, Tunisia and Belgium. The last one included countries like South Africa, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, UK, US, Japan and Malaysia.

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