CHANDIGARH: An eight-member European parliamentary delegation called on the Punjab Governor and Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh, S.F. Rodrigues, at the Punjab Raj Bhavan here on Tuesday and discussed different subjects of mutual interest covering agriculture, food processing, IT, tourism and power.

Gen. Rodrigues emphasized the need for further economic and trade ties and long-term collaborative initiatives in agriculture, marketing of agriculture produce, sharing of technologies to enhance yield and the setting up food processing units for the mutual benefit of farmers and business and trade community. He said another significant field for collaboration was the power generation sector as a huge untapped power potential was available in the Himalayan rivers. The delegation, which comprised members of different European countries, included Neena Gill (United Kindgom), Jim Nicholson (UK), Josef Leinen (Germany), Philip Bushill-Matthews (UK), Jean-Marie Beaupuy (France), Nirj Deva (UK), Jean Lambert (UK), Marianne Mikko (Estonia) and Saijad Karim (UK).

The Governor told the visitors that Punjab had achieved a major breakthrough in the agriculture sector and allied fields in recent years and the State was emerging as a progressive and vibrant investment destination with a good supportive infrastructure.

The Chandigarh Administration, he added, was setting up a modern terminal market in the city to act as an export hub for fruit and vegetables, which would serve the whole region including Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, western Uttar Pradesh and North Haryana.

The UT Administration had also set up a world-class IT Park and there had been a huge response from multi-national companies to set up partnership ventures.

The visiting delegation appreciated the initiatives taken by the Punjab Government and the Chandigarh Administration and assured active partnership in various progressive policies and programmes for mutual benefit.

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