By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The mysterious decision to keep industry Minister Pratap Deb, Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick and Commerce Minister Tukuni Sahu, away from the Odisha Investors Meet to be addressed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Dubai on June 29, has raised many eyebrows. The Investors meet is being jointly hosted by Odisha Government, FICCI and Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates. Sources said, on his way back, from Rome, Italy, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will meet the Investors from Middle East-North Africa (MENA) and adjoining regions in Dubai.
In Odisha, the Investment and Industry related issues general look after by these above mentioned Department like Industry, Steel and Mines and Commerce and Transport but only sources said, Industry Secretary Hemant Sharma and Chief Secretary SC Mohapatra are expected to join the meet while concerned Department Ministers have been side-lined.
The presence of Former Industries Minister Debi Mishra and Food Minister Atanu Sabyasachi in Dubai also raised many questions. Sources said, Food Supplies Minister Nayak’s presence should have been more appropriate if he allowed to remain present during Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to World Food Programme in Rome, sources said adding rather allowing him to attend the Odisha Investors Meet in Dubai.
It may be note here that former Industry Minister Debi Mishra had led a State delegation to Abu Dhabi, UAE, on April 18, 2016 to attract investments and he had then also met the UAE Minister for culture, youth and social development Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
Chief Minister Patnaik is expected to extend an invitation to the potential investors to come and invest in Odisha and assure them all the support and facilitation by the State Government. He will also have one-on-one meetings with some big investors from the region. A high level industrial delegation from Odisha will also be present during the investors meet for possible partnerships with the foreign investors.
On June 29 at 6pm local time, Chief Minister will meet the Odia Diaspora from the Middle East in Dubai and discuss with them Odisha’s transformational journey over the last two decades and invite them to partner with the State government . Odisha Industry Secretary Hemant Sharma has urged NROs to join the meet and take advantage of this opportunity to reconnect with larger Odia family in the Middle East.
