Pravasi Bhartiya Divas failing to attract investment: Panel

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary committee today criticised the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs for failing to attract expertise and investment from the Indian diaspora abroad through its flagship annual event the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas (PBD).

The Standing Committee on External Affairs in its 12th report, tabled in the Lok Sabha, said the PBDs were not being used effectively to woo the diaspora community to invest and share their expertise with the country of their origin.

It said Indian diaspora come to participate in the annual event "with very ambitious plans for their motherland" but in absence of proper guidance from the government, they go back without any achievement.

Without naming any states, it said some state governments organise similar events which receive huge investments.

"On the contrary, some state governments organised similar event on nearby dates and they are successful in attracting huge investments," it said.

"The committee, therefore, desire that in order to achieve the objectives of mutual benefits, the government should convince the NRIs and also offer them incentives to attract them to invest in their mother land during such PBDs," he said.

The committee also expressed dissatisfaction over the Ministry failing to fill up the vacant posts.