SAD Member Parliament from Bathinda, Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
Chandigarh, June 7, 2013: SAD Member Parliament from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal envisaged full support and cooperation from the Australian Government to safe guard the interests of Indians specially the Punjabi Diaspora. She sought reciprocal visits of experts from the two countries with a focus on Punjab and Punjabi Diaspora.
Badal, who was part of the Indian Parliamentary delegation during a visit to Australia from May 29 to June 7, held detailed discussions on a host of issues ranging from Energy, Food Security and Water, Uranium Supplies, Climate Change and mutual cooperation in the field of agriculture, food and water management. She appreciated the enormous contribution of Punjabis in the overall development and prosperity of India.
Seeking expertise and technical assistance for recharging the water table which was depleting at an alarming rate in the State, Badal said that Punjab being the leading agricultural zone and country’s food basket was striving hard to conserve its natural resources in form of water and land. She also deliberated on bilateral relations with Australian counterparts on education, health, energy security, maritime security vis-à-vis the Indian Ocean at roundtable on the Australian Indian Institute and also met the Governor of Victoria, Alex Chernov. She called for joint collaboration in the field of education both at school and college level with emphasizes on university education besides in technical education for the skill development of our youth to enable them to compete globally.
Harsimrat Badal also had parleys with Prof. Hector and his team on Water resources management, Australian and Indian Water policy and management, rural and urban water and climate changes and sought a time tested and viable technology for the cleaning of ponds in villages across the state, which was hazardous to the very life of the people living in the rural areas.
Badal urged the Australian Government to mobilize local entrepreneurs and investors to make huge investments in Punjab which was now being looked at as the most preferred destination in the wake of recent package of incentives adding, she said there was tremendous scope for agro processing, small scale and manufacturing industry in Punjab.``
She also visited the Australian House of Representative in Canberra and the Lady Speaker Anna Burke was pleased to meet her and both struck quite a rapport. She was hosted lunch meeting with Australian Members of Parliament and also met Julie Bishop MP, Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Badal also a series of discussions at Australian National University, University of New South Wales Sydney, Melbourne University, and the Lowy Institute and met a number of Indian students and had first-hand view of the situation of Indian students and also took issues with the Australian Government including with Julie Bishop MP the Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.