Punjab Governor writes to Jaishankar, seeks for US consulate in Chandigarh

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], June 17 (ANI): The Punjab government on Friday requested that a United States Consulate should be established in Chandigarh.

In a letter to the External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, Banwari Lal Purohit, Governor of Punjab said that this request is made against the background of the growing demand of people from the state.
“The Governor mentioned that Punjabis are adventurous people who travel all over the world. They also form a sizeable segment of the Indian diaspora in the US. The speciality of this segment is that its members are conscious of their roots and are in constant touch with their people back at home in India. This makes a good case for a US Consulate in Chandigarh which is the nerve centre of Punjabi culture,” according to the letter released from the Punjab Raj Bhavan.

The Governor referred to the demand for an additional Consulate in India which is being pressed for even in the United States by influential Congressmen, which further bolsters the demand, the letter further read.

It also mentioned that India has as many as five Consulates in the United States, while the US has only four Consulates in India.

The Governor said that if a US Consulate is opened in Chandigarh, it will serve the purpose to touch social, economic and cultural dimensions of the State and requested the Ministry of External Affairs to pursue this matter with appropriate American authorities.