Visit to world’s third largest steel company-Bao Steel Company, cruising in Maglev train- a magnetic train at jet-aircraft speed of over 500 km per hour in Shanghai, a visit to Xi’an High-tech Development Zone, watching Chinese Kung Fu at Beijing...
These are some of the places and events the legislators from Karnataka will be exposed to during their 12-day trip to China beginning August 22.
A first batch of 89 legislators and six officers will leave for Singapore at 11.15 pm on August 22 night by Singapore Airlines.
At Singapore the group will be divided into two groups. While one group will proceed to Beijing, another group to Shanghai. While the first group will visit Beijing, Xi’an, Nanjing and Shanghai, the second group which starts its journey from Shanghai moves in the opposite direction and visit the same places.
According to sources, the legislators will also visit two universities including the world famous Peking University, the Great Wall of China, Tianmen Square and the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
At Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, the legislators will get a peep at one of world’s largest economic zone, besides visiting the Yangtze River Bridge, which is the longest bridge with the dual functions of highway and railway.
Meanwhile, at a send-off function organised for legislators at the Conference Hall of Vidhan Soudha on Wednesday, various speakers appealed to legislators not to attach “much importance” to media as well as public criticism of their trip. Assembly Speaker Krishna, who is the main architect of the trip, went a step ahead and advised the legislators to take the criticism as a challenge.
Stating that the trip is being organised to expose legislators to the progress made by China, Mr Krishna was of the view that such trips should be conducted once in five years.
Council Chairman B K Chandrashekhar asked legislators to pay greater attention for the progress made by China in the areas of agriculture and environment besides the steps taken by it for eradicating regional imbalance.
Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa was of the view that legislators should not miss any opportunity to visit different parts of the world. He said he would also visit China before the second group of legislators commence its trip on August 27.
Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly N Dharam Singh observed that as there was much similarity between India and China, the legislators could learn a lot from the trip.
Officers
The State government has nominated Agriculture Commissioner Rajneesh Goel, Industries and Commerce Secretary Mahendra Jain, DPAR Secretary Syed Zameer Pasha and Primary and Secondary Education Secretary T M Vijaybhaskar for the trip.