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Tie-up with Bill Gates a victory: Raje

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister describes her visit to the Unites States `historic'

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has described her visit to the United States as "historic". "It proved to be a success beyond expectations. It will help promote investment in the State and give a fillip to our efforts to make Rajasthan a frontline State," she said, on her return from the fortnight-long visit, on Friday.

Arriving in New Delhi from London, Ms.Raje said at Indira Gandhi International Airport that the most important achievement of her visit had been the meeting with Bill Gates and the agreement reached with him in constituting a task force for partnership in the fields of health, education and women development. The Microsoft Foundation had also made a commitment to Rajasthan to work together in the tourism sector and information technology, she said.

"The State needs good partners who have good standing and recognition in the international market and in business for making speedy progress," Ms. Raje said even as half of her Cabinet members were there at the airport to greet her on her arrival. The partnership with Bill Gates would prove greatly beneficial to the State in the long run, she observed.

Ms.Raje termed her meeting with Mr.Gates and other senior functionaries of Microsoft as a "path-breaking event". She was not expecting such a major breakthrough, she said. The senior representatives of the Bill Gates Foundation and Rajasthan would be included in a task force to be constituted to explore the possibilities of working in different potential sectors.

The Chief Minister said she was happy about the response from the members of the Rajasthan Association of North America (RANA) at the international conclave in New York. The delegates came forward to invest in Rajasthan and evinced keen interest in the development of the State, she said. Ms.Raje cited the agreement signed for setting up a hospital in Rajasthan as another important achievement. A delegation from North Shore, the biggest hospital in America, would soon be visiting Rajasthan, she said.

There was a need to work in the spirit of public-private partnership in this era of globalisation as no State could progress on its own.

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