Lights... Camera... ACTION… : PBD is here!

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The registration for the Indian diaspora arriving from across the globe to Indore began on Saturday and around 1,000 NRIs who have touched down… have gone through their paperwork today. A major chunk of the delegates are arriving on Sunday… the D-Day!

The registration is being conducted in a huge dome next to the Brilliant Convention Centre, the venue for the high-profile PBD Conference.

There are 12 counters to issue entry passes, kits and a foreign exchange counter has been installed too. The sitting capacity for the guests is around 150. The registration centre is well-equipped with essential gizmos etc.

There are specified counters for participants, like NRIs, exhibitors, delegates, staff of the PMO, the President, central and the state governments. Six clocks have been installed which have been set to the timings of New York, Hong Kong, Dubai, London, Moscow and Paris.

Asked to reveal the final number of registrations made for the PBD Conference, Arindam Bagchi, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, refused to divulge details.

Waiting too long: NRIs

When contacted by the Free Press at the registration area, some NRIs said they had to wait for a long time at the registration counters. A couple who had travelled all the way from the UAE, spoke on condition of anonymity that they had to wait from 11 am to 4pm to get the passes. Another NRI, who came from the UAE, was not satisfied with the hotel staff.

Another NRI said they were brought in from Mumbai in buses which was quite an exhausting experience. Despite these complaints, they expressed in unison their love for their motherland!

However, an aged participant Jhamu Kriplani hailed the arrangements and spoke in volumes for the bandobast.

Published on: Sunday, January 08, 2023, 12:35 AM IST