GOVERNORS' CONFERENCE TO BE HELD AT RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN ON JANUARY 11-12, 2003

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The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, will preside over the Conference of Governors on Saturday the 11^th January and Sunday the 12^th January, 2003, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Twenty-eight Governors and three Lt. Governors of the States and Union Territories will attend the Conference. The Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission and Union Ministers of Defence, External Affairs, Human Resource Development, Disinvestment, Agriculture, Water Resources, Youth Affairs & Sports will also participate.

The focus of the two day Governors Conference will be on the role of Governors in promoting a prosperous and peaceful state in partnership with the state governments and to accelerate the process of nation becoming a developed country. The conference will also discuss the importance of networking of rivers, optimum usage of water resources, management of droughts and natural disasters. The law and order scenario and other unique aspects of individual states will also be discussed and action plans will be evolved.