The Hindu : Other States / Punjab News : Punjab to set up Indo-Canadian centre

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Thursday, May 26, 2005

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Punjab to set up Indo-Canadian centre

Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH: Punjab would set up a centre for Indo-Canadian Studies to promote understanding and cooperation in social, cultural and economic spheres among the Punjabi Diaspora.

Addressing a gathering of entrepreneurs at a business session organised at Vancouver by the Canada-India Business Council, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced that the centre would focus on bringing the Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) and Punjab closer for business and cultural ties.

According to an official release here, within minutes of his announcement, five Non Resident Indians (NRIs) pledged 50,000 Canadian dollars for the centre. British Columbia is home to the largest concentration of Punjabis who constitute 86 per cent of the total Indian migrant population there. The Punjabi population is large enough and politically important to determine the result in 10 of British Columbia's 79 ridings (constituencies).

Apart from leading businesspersons, prominent personalities of British Columbia participated in the deliberations. They included Federal Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh, former Federal Minister Herb Dhaliwal, BC Finance Minister, Colin Hansen, Mayor of Surrey, Dough McCallum, President of University College Of Frazer valley, Skip Bassford and the Consul General of India, George Joseph.

In panel discussions, President of the Canada-India Business Council Valli Chettiar suggested more trade missions between Punjab and British Columbia.

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