Khattar to meet Jaishankar for Haryana man lodged in Australian prison

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said efforts were on for the release of Karnal youth Vishal Jude, who is lodged in an Australian jail. The Chief Minister said he would meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar again regarding the release of Jude and will urge the Australian High Commission to intervene and ensure his safety.

Chandigarh:Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said he will be meeting External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to seek his intervention in securing the release of 24-year-old Vishal Jood from a prison in Australia. According to local media reports, Jood, who hails from Haryana's Karnal, is lodged in an Australian prison for his alleged role in a series of hate attacks on suspected pro-Khalistan Sikhs in Sydney this year.

Khattar said he would also urge the Australian High Commission to intervene in the issue, an official statement said here. The chief minister had earlier also spoken to Jaishankar and was assured of full cooperation from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian High Commission in Australia regarding Jood's release, it said. Khattar, who is in Manali, said continuous efforts are on to secure the release of the youth.

Meanwhile, on the second day of his visit to the resort town in Himachal Pradesh, the Haryana chief minister held a virtual meeting with representatives of NGOs and NRIs living in Australia and thanked them for sending oxygen concentrators and other medical equipment to India amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He also urged the Haryanvi diaspora and foreign investors to invest in Haryana.

Read:Khattar seeks Jaishankar's intervention for release of youth from Australian jail

Describing Haryana as a preferred destination for investment, Khattar said the state government has constituted a Foreign Cooperation Department to resolve various issues related to foreign investment and to coordinate with foreign investors. Along with this, a single-window system has been created through which investors can get all types of approvals online easily in 45 days to set up their industry, he said. Apart from this, Khattar said, a relationship manager will be assigned to investors who wish to set up their business in Haryana.

Khattar added that the Haryana government was committed to create a progressive business environment in the state. In Haryana, 10 industrial model townships with all necessary facilities have been set up. A separate MSME Department has been created for the purpose of promoting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the state, he said. Haryana is a preferred destination for auto companies and auto-component manufacturers, the chief minister said. Haryana has immense potential for industry in the fields of auto manufacturing, skill development, IT and ITES, agro and agro-based industries such as food processing, health and animal science, tourism, integrated aviation hubs, he added.

Read:'Chautala's release from jail may change political equation in Haryana'

PTI