By Muslim Mirror News,
Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government has extended special invitation to US-based entrepreneur and we’ll known phillonthropist Mr Frank F Islam for the first NRI Day that is likely to be held in Agra in January next year.
The proposed event of the State government led-by Samajawadi Party is an attempt to woo NRI investors on big way. The Akhilesh Yadav government has also planned of felicitating the NRIs from the state who excelled in foreign countries. The government will confer “UP Ratna” to 10 individuals, all of whom hail from the state and have “done exceptionally in their respective fields” abroad, said Sanjeev Saran who is the Principal Secretary of UP’s NRI Department.
For this purpose, the government has sent special invitations including Frank F Islam who hails from Azamgarh and is a known entrepreneur in USA. Islam is an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University who had donated $2 million to his alma mater to build a management school in May this year.
Briefing about event, Saran said the government will give ‘NRI card’ for availing easy access in government departments.
“By paying Rs 500 for the card, an NRI can avail entry to government offices on priority basis in getting a meeting scheduled with government functionaries”.
According to Saran, till November 25 as many as 413 NRIs have applied for the card, which will be given away after the successful verification of their passports and other important details. The cards will be sent over e-mail, bearing a unique identification code, a senior state official informed.
After delay of one year, now the state government has decided to hold its first NRI Day on January 4-5, 2016, just two days before the National Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is scheduled to begin. It will likely hold the event in Agra which is world-famed for its monument Taj Mahal.
The government’s earlier attempt to hold the first NRI Day (on February 28 earlier this year) could not take off due to the lack of administrative planning. “But this time we have prepared well in advance. The registration process has already started and we have introduced a fee of USD 100 to ensure that only genuine people attend the function. We are expecting about 200 NRIs’ participating at the event, which would take place around the same time as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas,” Saran added.
The government’s stance towards the NRIs really took a flight in July this year, when it passed an order prohibiting registration of any FIR without the prior permission or knowledge of the IG of that respective zone. Additionally, it has already offered them support to help find their native places if they visit the state and has now declared that it would make arrangements for them to visit their respective villages if they attend the event next year.
Tauqeer Sherwani, the representative of Frank F Islam in India has welcomed UP govt’s move to confer UP Ratna to Mr Islam. He also thanked Mr Madhukar Jetley, adviser NRI affairs and externally aided projects of UP govt who is behind this award.
Thanking you for inviting me to Frank Islam Lecture.
Please send an invitation to Prof Muhammad Nejatullah Siddiqi an eminent Islamic economist, who want attend Frank Islam programe in Shaheen Bagh tomorrow . Please invite him on his email below
mnsiddiqi@hotmail.com
Warm regards,
Prof. Javed Ahmad Khan
Center for West Asian Studies ,
Jamia Millia Islamia