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ON DAY-I of his visit to the United Kingdom, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s schedule was packed with meetings aimed at wooing investors.

During a meeting with Team MP on Friday, a British real estate company expressed the desire to invest in Indore and Gwalior. Liberty International PLC, the third largest real estate investment trust in the UK with assets worth over £8 billion (around Rs 75,000 crore), is expected to sign an MoU with the State Government on Saturday. Company CEO David Fischel made a presentation before Chouhan, an official spokesperson said in Bhopal.

Chouhan held discussions with Members of Parliament at the British House of Commons. The MPs the CM met included Ashok Kumar, Shailesh Vara and Lord King, the spokesperson said.

Later, addressing a press conference at the India House, Chouhan said the objective of his visit was to invite British investors to the Global Investors’ Meet to be held in Bhopal from October 25 to 27. Also, he wanted to apprise investors of business prospects in MP and to cement emotional bonds with the people of Britain.

Answering a question about stability of policies, the Chief Minister said Madhya Pradesh represents a brand of politics where a government does not undo the policies of the previous regime just because the party in power has changed.
At the press conference, a suggestion was made that MP had potential for horticulture, which should be harnessed to the full. The CM accepted the take with thanks.

Chouhan’s next engagement was an interactive session organised by the Indian High Commission, which was attended by business leaders, prominent non-resident Indians and prospective investors.

Answering a question, Chouhan explained the efforts being made by the government in the field of health, welfare of unorganised labour, provision of clean drinking water and sanitation.

Chouhan mentioned achievements in infrastructure and advantages of Madhya Pradesh like being centrally located; well connected by train, road and air; land availability; skilled and cheap manpower; power availability and mineral resources etc.

The CM informed that in MP, 10 universities and 65 professional colleges were producing 2.30 lakh graduates, including 18,000 technical graduates, annually. Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the most prominent granary of the country. It ranks first in production of pulses and oilseeds and third in food grain.

Chouhan said MP had formulated a new IT policy that offers incentives to investment in this sector. “We are in the process of developing 240 acres of ready-to-occupy state-of-the-art IT infrastructure,’’ he said.