CM presents state`s business prospects before investors at New York conference
Gangtok,Sept 27: After conclusion of the one-day North East India Investment Conference in New York, Sikkim chief minister Dr.PawanChamling will be leaving for Bangkok to participate in a business summit. Chief ministers of other north eastern states except Meghalaya, which will be represented by its deputy CM, will take part in the summit.The summit will be inaugurated by the industries minister of Thailand and the state chief minister will present a paper on investment opportunities in Sikkim in the field of tourism, horticulture, power, natural resources with the aim of wooing private investors.Officials with Dr. Chamling informed he would be leaving New York tomorrow at 10 am for Bangkok with state delegation to attend the three-day business summit due to begin on October 1. The summit will end on October 4, he said.The chief minister is scheduled to return home on October 5.The chief minister, who has been out of the state since September 21.The chief minister left the country on September 22 for New York and made a presentation on Investment Opportunities in Sikkim in the first session of the one-day North East India Investment Conference in New York.The conference was organized jointly by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the ministry of development of north eastern region (DoNER) on September 26 at Hotel Hyatt in New York coinciding with the four-day long India @ 60 Event which commenced on September 23.In his presentation, Dr. Chamling reportedly mentioned that Sikkim needs to utilize its natural resources and tourism potential to improve the living conditions of the people and expressed desire for investment from outsiders.While taking up the topic of horticulture, he said that the state had a potential for large scale production of floriculture and horticulture with its favorable climatic conditions. Floriculture also can be taken up successfully in the state, the chief minister revealed to the prospective investors stating that as many as 550 varieties of orchids were available in the state.In the power sector too, there was potential for producing 8000 mega watts of hydel electricity but currently only less than 25% of potential capacity were being produced in the state, the chief minister said in his presentation disclosing that the state government had identified many areas which had power production potential.He also attracted the investors to the tourism industry elaborately describing the beauty of the Sikkim and the north eastern region of India. He informed of onshore casino policy of state and also recent opening of historical silk route to China and invited investors to impart knowledge of the latest technology to the state`s youths. He also talked on collaboration with upcoming Sikkim Central University with US institutions.
