British Columbia keen for joint ventures with Haryana

Chandigarh, Dec 3 (UNI) British Columbia has expressed keen interest for mutual cooperation with Haryana in the areas of education, technology and agriculture.

British Columbia (Province of Canada) Premier Gordon Campbell, who called on Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today, expressed interest in areas of mutual interest, especially education, agriculture and technology.

Mr Campbell is here in the city with a delegation of 30 people, which includes representatives of various universities of British Columbia.

While apprising the Chief Minister about the progress made by British Columbia in various fields of development, Mr Campbell invited Mr Hooda to visit British Columbia.

During the meeting, Mr Hooda apprised Mr Campbell of various welfare schemes being implemented by the state government to benefit all sections of the society.

He said that an Education City named after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was being set up at Kundli and it would be a centre of excellence to provide educational facilities of international standard.

Later, while addressing a press conference here, Mr Gordon said that British Columbia needs large workforce for their country as there is shortage of workforce in British Columbia due to their ageing population.

"Our country is prospering but we need the workforce. We will incourage people from India to come and work in our country." For this purpose, he said that the British Columbia government is taking up the issue with the Canadian government to review the immigration policy to solve the visa problem Indians were facing.

UNI