Canadian industrialist keen to invest in Assam

Dhaliwal, the first Canadian Cabinet Minister of Indian origin, said his company East-West Petroleum Corporation is keen to invest in a big way in the exploration of shale oil

and shale gas in which Assam has huge potential.

"As Assam possess huge potential we can rope in new technology to extract oil and gas from shale. This will open up the floodgates of investments and employment avenues in the state," he said.

He apprised the chief minister of the talks he has had with Oil India, ONGC and GAIL to adopt latest technology for exploration of oil and gas.

Dhaliwal asked the chief minister to take up the matter with the Ministry of Petroleum and the Prime Minister to frame a policy for shale oil and shale gas.

 

Dhaliwal requested the Chief Minister to expedite the process for granting licence to the company to explore shale oil and gas in Diphu bordering Dimapur.

The Chief Minister assured Dhaliwal that he would look into the matter.

Gogoi further said that he was looking forward to Canadian investments in sectors such as tea, oil, agriculture, food processing, medicinal plants, tourism etc in which the state has tremendous potential.

Gogoi also evinced keen interest in the village development project taken up by a non-profit organisation from Canada with which Dhaliwal was closely associated in 20 villages in Punjab.