From correspondents in Rajasthan, India, 05:30 PM IST

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who is on a tour to the US, has urged the non-resident Rajasthanis to come and invest in the state, saying 'it's time investors took maximum advantage of the opportunities that Rajasthan offers'.

Raje met office bearers and members of the Rajasthani Association of North America (RANA) in New York, a statement issued by state government said here Friday.

Raje reached the US May 14, the day she received the United Nations Women Together Award for this year. She is slated to fly back to Rajasthan May 20.

The chief minister detailed the policy framework focusing on hotel and bio-fuel and the policies to promote private investment in power generation and creating health care infrastructure.

Raje invited members of RANA to participate in the 'resurgent Rajasthan' programme, due to start shortly. She pointed out that in a recent World Bank report, Jaipur had been identified as the third most happening city in India.

The chief minister also talked about micro-finance and self-employment for women and emphasised that the demands of the social sector needs to be properly addressed so that disadvantaged sections of the society may also get a platform to reach their true potential.

The members of RANA reaffirmed their commitment to social causes in the state. On Tuesday, Raje had held a series of meetings with potential investors.

Ashwin Patel of Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), a $38.5 billion organisation in North America, discussed with Raje opportunities of investing in the hotel sector.

Patel assured of investing in the state after he was informed about the new hotel policy.

Representatives of Merrill Lynch also discussed the matter of floating infrastructure bonds with the chief minister.

They said adequate information about the state's finances and debt analyses were required along with guidelines of the union government and the Reserve Bank of India.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)