Gadkari pitches for UK, European investments in BJP-ruled states

London, July 20 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari has invited British and European Union investments in BJP -ruled states in the field of green technologies and non-conventional energy sources like solar power, wind energy, bio-energy - bio-fuels etc.

Gadkari, who is on a six-day visit to the UK, called on British Foreign Secretary William Hague here last evening and explored the potential of enhanced Indo-British cooperation in various fields.

Hague told Gadkari that Britain and the European Union countries have the expertise and technologies in these fields and would be willing to share with India.

He said India and Britain have very strong economic ties and the David Cameron government would keep pushing the British companies to move this special relationship ahead.

Hague said Britain would like India to open the retail, insurance and banking sectors and offered enhanced British investments if New Delhi removed some of the trade barriers.

Outlining the BJP policy on opening of the retail and insurance sectors, Gadkari said a debate on these issues was going in the economic policy forums of the party with a view to evolving a consensus on such sensitive matters.

Gadkari said the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had pursued the process of economic reforms in some areas and the BJP was committed to carrying the same policies forward when returned to power at the centre in the next general elections.

He said the nine BJP-ruled states accorded highest priority to rural development, irrigation and water management to augment agricultural output. The other areas of focus for the BJP ruled states were infrastructure development, and more specifically power and road development.

The BJP, when in power, would like to promote greater Indo-British cooperation in the field of research and development, science and technology, advanced manufacturing, green technologies, non-conventional energy, defence, skilled development and education.

Hague invited Indian companies to explore the tremendous investment potential in Britain and other European Union countries and agreed to intensify efforts to prepare favourable ground for them including exchange of information.

He informed Gadkari that India has already emerged as the second largest investor into the UK with a large number of Indian companies working in Britain and more would be welcome.

During the 30-minute meeting, Gadkari was accompanied by former Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, President of the BJP Mahila Morcha and MP, Smriti Irani, Convenor of the Overseas Friends of BJP, Vijay Jolly, co-convener Amit Thaker and the party president's media advisor Ashok Tandon.(ANI)