FOREIGN MINISTER OF VENEZUELA CALLS ON MINISTER OF STATE (I/C) FOR URBAN EMPLOYMENT & POVERTY ALLEVIATION

New Delhi, 1^st September, 2004

A delegation led by Foreign Minister of Venezuela, Hon’ble Mr. Jesus Arnaldo Perez, called on Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Government of India, Kumari Selja and had wide ranging discussion on the areas of mutual interest and cooperation. The visiting delegation apprised the Minister of the initiatives being taken by the Venezuelan Government for the education and the health care of the slum dwellers. Distribution of free medicines and AIDS awareness programmes being undertaken by the Government of Venezuela for the slum dwellers were specifically highlighted by the visiting Hon’ble Foreign Minister of Venezuela.

Kumari Selja while appreciating the initiatives of the Venezuela Government, highlighted the  various schemes of the Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation for Slum Development, Night Shelter & Sanitation and Poverty Alleviation Schemes for the urban poor. A specific reference was made to Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana – a scheme for housing the slum dwellers and Swarna Jayanti Sahari Rojgar Yojana for the urban poor. She also stressed upon adoption of low cost housing technologies for construction of mass housing for the slum dwellers and the urban poor.

Later the Venezuelan delegation also visited the Display Centre of Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) at Nirman Bhawan. Shri D.B.N.Rao, Director General, BMTPC while highlighting the multifaceted activities of the Council outlined series of initiatives taken by BMTPC for promotion and development of low cost, energy-efficient and environment-friendly housing technologies for strengthening the housing delivery system. Venezuelan delegation took keen interest in the technologies and machines developed by the Council and expressed a desire that the Technology Demonstration cum Diffusion Centre under the ongoing India-UNIDO Cooperation Programme should be established in Venezuela at an early date. Hon’ble Mr. Jesus Arnaldo Perez observed that there is good scope for promoting cooperation and sharing of expertise and technologies developed in India.