JEDDAH, 20 June 2003 — Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will inaugurate on Aug. 3 a three-day NRI Festival, the first of its kind, in Hyderabad with the promise of “a better future back home.”
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, the Indian Doctors, Engineers, Architects and Accountants Society (IDEAS) founder director, Khaja Quadeer Anwar, said the festival was organized in response to the aspirations of non-resident Indians (NRIs) from Hyderabad who had submitted a memorandum to the chief minister.
He said Naidu had also promised to look into their long-standing demand for the creation of a separate ministry for NRI affairs, since 1.5 million Indian expatriates work in the Kingdom alone. Of them, Hyderabadis constitute the second largest segment.
Kerala has already taken the lead in this direction by creating an independent ministry for non-resident Keralites. Remittances from the Kingdom to India, according to the World Bank Report, stand at SR7.5 billion annually.
IDEAS Media Manager Sultan Mazharuddin said the NRI Festival would feature an exhibition with the participation of real estate firms and builders, schools and colleges, IT companies as well as a jewelry-cum-garments show. There will be an NRIs’ convention at which the chief minister will spell out his government’s policy, highlighting its contributions to the welfare of NRIs and future plans. A special website (www.nrifestival.com) has been dedicated to the event.
Speakers among the NRIs are expected to discuss their problems, especially those relating to admission to professional courses and rehabilitation schemes for returnees. One of the long-standing demands of the NRIs has been that they should be designated as overseas contract workers (OCWs) that would confer residential status on NRI students, who could then be exempted from hefty capitation fees charged by medical and engineering colleges.
Some six to ten awards will be presented to the Andhra Pradesh NRIs from the Gulf states for their outstanding contributions in the fields of community service, commercial service and as entrepreneurs.
Another highlight of the event will be ghazals and a light music concert featuring Jagjit Singh and Hari Haran. Minister of State for External Affairs Vinod Khanna and Shabana Azmi, MP, are also expected to participate in the festival, Mazharuddin added.
