BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) conference, 2017, in Bengaluru on January 7, industries and tourism minister R V Deshpande announced on Monday.
He told the media after a meeting with officers of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) that more than 3,000 delegates across the world would participate in the conference. External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj would oversee arrangements for the three-day event in the city. On the occasion of PBD, the government would organize three international events for one year, and hosting this conference in Bengaluru would help the state attract investments as a large number of NRIs would participate in the event, the minister added.
Mr Deshpande said “the Centre has released Rs. 10 crores for Badami under heritage city development programme. The cabinet has decided to utilize the amount for development of Badami, the fund will be utilized through department of urban development. Regarding the threat of terrorists to Beluru and Halebeedu, the Centre has alerted the state, but I do not know what steps the home department has taken in this regard.” Mr. Deshpande declined to be drawn into the debate within the ruling party following veteran leader Mr Janaradhan Poojary’s outbursts against CM Siddaramaiah on Sunday.
