Pravasi Bharatiya Divas: Culture minister woos NRIs with string of promises

BHOPAL (Madhya Pradesh): Culture and tourism minister Usha Thakur has promised “service, security and orderliness” to the NRIs in Madhya Pradesh.

Thakur was speaking to travel agents, tour operators, media and other stakeholders at the Tourism Roadshow in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to promote Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. She also invited citizens of Malaysia and NRIs to come to Madhya Pradesh.

She further said “MP has got the good fortune of organising Bhartiya Pravasi Diwas on January 9. Its registration will start October 2. The tourism department is working to include Buddha circuit, Omkar circuit, Shaktipeeth circuit, three UNESCO heritage circuits etc. in the tour package for the visiting citizens.

All the tourists will be able to choose the tour package as per their choice at the time of their registration. The tourism department promises you more service, security and orderliness, the minister added.

Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture Sheo Shekhar Shukla said the various exciting activities to be done on the natural beauty of the state, especially the attractive water-forms, dams. He said that Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is being organised in Indore - the cleanest city of the country.

The programme ended with a lucky draw, in which the winners were given a package of 4 days and 3 nights of Madhya Pradesh tour as prizes. Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia B.N. Reddy, tour and travel agents from Malaysia were present.

MP’s Gond paintings gifted

Usha Thakur met Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Edmund Kumar Ramanaidu in Putrajaya. She presented Gond paintings to him. The Ministers discussed the possibilities of tourism exchanges between the two countries in view of expatriate ties, cultural exchanges, geographical proximity and direct flight connectivity. Also visited the Global Indian International School in Kuala Lumpur and interacted with the teachers and students.