Advani shadow on Ficci's Bhopal meet

Chief Minister Babulal Gaur has postponed his meeting with Ficci representatives tomorrow because of the political crisis precipitated by BJP President L K Advani's statement on Jinnah and his subsequent resignation.

However, Ficci Secretary General Amit Mitra will make a presentation at the Mantralaya (state secretariat) on the occasion of "Destination Madhya Pradesh "� Global Investment Summit 2006".

However, sources say top government functionaries may "skip" the presentation. "They were expecting a Ficci delegation including President Omkar S Kanwar," an official source said.

Insiders in the government said the party high command had summoned Gaur to New Delhi and the last-minute cancellation of the programme has been intimated by the Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation and Department of Industries, to all invitees and Ficci as well.

"The programme has been rescheduled on July 4 or 5 tentatively," a source told Business Standard.

According to them "Ficci general-secretary's presentation was on the lines of Gujarat presentation that has been made earlier to the Gujarat government."

The Ficci presentation for Madhya Pradesh, said sources, is a blueprint of detailed time-bound programme named as 'Destination Madhya Pradesh "� Global Investment Summit 2006' and Ficci has planned to propose a fee (budget) of Rs 3.50 crore to the state government for the purpose. The Ficci, according to sources, will ready a strategy to showcase MP on "Second Generation Development Roadmap." It will also include a survey work.

In the presentation, according to state government secretariat insiders, Ficci has mentioned promotion of agriculture, derisking of agriculture, employment and marketing of projects in lieu of some areas only to attract global investors from United States, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, Singapore, China, Italy and other countries.

The ficci presentation also states that MP should have a textile special economic zone, a technology cluster in Gwalior and some facilities in Jabalpur and Rewa.

"Few points on Ficci's power point presentation had also been done on tips from MP government officials," said sources.

The project also involves Rs 1 crore foreign trips by officials or delegation of MP and media publicity. Apart from it Ficci wants MP to exhibit or showcase itself at Global trade fairs.

Ficci had readied a similar plan for Gujarat as a result of which the Gujarat government signed 212 MoUs. However Gujarat Government, Unido and Government of India had shared the expenses of the project. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr Gaur and Ficci officials have discussed the project in Mumbai on 19 April 2005.

Since its installation MP Government has organized a number of investors' meet however, it has gained nothing as investment except for a few proposals and MoUs.