NRG body finds itself on shaky ground

AHMEDABAD: For Chief Minister Narendra Modi, it was the right instrument for reaching out to Gujarati expatriates and a vehicle to woo investment.
But, the Non-Resident Gujarati Foundation (NRGF), with none of its projected activities completed in the last three years and with its grant slashed, is itself on shaky grounds with many questioning its ability to turn the CM''s dream into reality.The state government is planning a slew of big projects involving the NRGF" the most prestigious being the mega event for NRGs, the Navratri Mahotsav-2003, to be held in late September.
But, a host of woes are eating into its foundations. The foundation''s detractors say that merely changing the stated objective, from "forging social and cultural ties with Indian diaspora" to "using skills of NRGs into development of Gujarat" will not help.
The NRGF, conceived and founded during former chief minister Keshubhai Patel''s tenure, does not have a fulltime chairman for more than a year now.
It also has to do without any of its six non-office council members on its advisory board and has kept in abeyance a large number of annual activities announced during its inception. Its annual grant has been slashed from Rs 5 crore in 1999 to Rs 2 crore in 2003.
With under five months to go before the state hosts the mega NRG convention during Navratri, expected to be attended by a large number of expatriates, sources in the NRG department reveal that the foundation may not be in a position to rise to the occasion.
NRG minister Ashok Bhatt, however, says that the tourism and industry departments will shoulder a lion''s share in organising the event.
According to Bhatt, grants too will not be a problem. "It can be increased if the need arises," he informs.
But, its not just about funds as the foundation faces a big challenge of housing the NRGs expected to troop in as the proposed Rs 3.5-crore NRG Bhawan, planned to be set up in Shahibaug, is yet to come up. Sources say the temporary NRG Bhawan, set up in 2000, may not be able to meet the requirement.
Sources in the NRG department reveal that the inflow of NRGs decreased in 2002 to the extent that it was not economically viable to maintain the temporary NRG
Bhawan and the department had to hand over the charge to road and building department. The road and building department is now allowing government guests to stay in the Bhawan but priority is accorded to NRGs.
Former governing council members of the foundation said that the NRGF had reserved about Rs 1.5 lakh to set up an educational counselling cell to assist students going abroad.
"Almost all details were finalised and member associations abroad had agreed to guide students coming to their region. But, this never took off," said a former member.
"Such a proposal had come from the NRG Foundation Council members in 2001. But it was not accepted as any work related with education counselling has to be conducted by the education ministry and not by the NRG department. There were many proposals from the council members at that time. However, the government is not supposed to accept each proposal that members come up with," said a foundation member.