UK Minister, Gaur discuss projects

This special coverage of the visit of the then British Government’s Former Minister for Trade, Development and Consumer Affairs - jointly with DFID (Department for International Development) Gareth Thomas, who was also an British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development was a very special one since I had the proud privilege to cover his one day visit to the Madhya Pradesh State in on October 6, 2004. I got this opportunity thanks to Ashim Chowla who was the then the Madhya Pradesh state in charge of the DFID (Department for International Development) of the British Government. He called me to say if I could help him in photographing the full visit of Gareth Thomas, for which readily I agreed and also informed the Resident Editor Askari H Zaidi that I will be going with the UK Minister and will also file the story too. The visit was very exciting in many ways since I got to shoot the minister up close and also got some very natural pictures of the minister who is a very soft spoken man and had a great sense of humor. At the end of the trip after boating at the upper lake the minister walked up to me and asked me to show the images I had taken and requested for a CD with the images to be send to him personally. This is was very flattering since I have taken many a foreign dignitaries visit to India but this one will always remain in my memory.

Ashim Chowla explains some of the old pictures of Bhopal to the Gareth Thomas at the DFID office in Bhopal (left), Gareth Thomas along with Debe Menzes and Ashim Chowla talk to some of the NGO reprensentatives at the DFID office (right).

The British Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development Gareth Thomas and Country Director Debe Menzes of the British High Commission today met Chief Minister Babulal Gaur here and discussed cooperation with the Madhya Pradesh Government in various sectors.
The international development department of the British Government has already provided assistance to the State in the education and health sectors.

Gareth Thomas being requested by the then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur not to stop from funding in the health and education sector from the state, at the hallway leding to the CM's conference room (left), as he holds meeting with Chief Secretary Vijay Singh (right).

In today’s meeting, the State Government proposed British assistance in the sectors of higher secondary education, mid-day meal, AIDS control, juvenile crimes, justice and police administration, public grievances redressal, rural grain bank, slums improvement and reforms in the power sector.
Chief Secretary Vijay Singh and Principal Secretaries of the Health, Home, Urban Welfare and Finance departments detailed the State proposals in the meeting.
Thomas and Menzess said that the past experiences of the British Government with the State Government have been good. They gave assurance that the British Government would soon take decision on the State proposals in the context of today’s discussion.

Gareth Thomas being welcomed by the villagers during his one hour visit, some of the villagers at the bore well.

Thomas, a young Member of Parliament (MP) in the Tony Blair Government is in his 30’s. He is part of the young set of ministers the Blair government has been projecting to its voters back in the UK.
Thomas also met the State Health Minister Gauri Shankar Shejwar and discussed various health projects the DFID can take up with the State Government.
Thomas then called on the Chief Secretary Vijay Singh. The two had a closed-door meeting with IAS officers and Principal Secretaries of various departments. Thomas then went to the chamber of Panchayat and Rural development Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and from there the two left together for Beej Bhawan and jointly inaugurated an office.

Gareth Thomas interacts with the State Government run school children while asking them as to what do they get to eat in their mid-day meal.


Gareth Thomas inspects a 'Anganwadi' home, before speaking to some of the workers of the DFID run aganwadi settlements and then leaves their home after being satisfied with the progress of their work by the all women team.


Later in the noon, Thomas was taken to village Bhiyapur near Bhimbetka to interact with women and children. He discussed with them the issues related to free mid-day meal scheme, water, education, an empowerment of women. He asked the villagers to give in the problems they face in their day-today life. Later, he spoke to children and asked them if they were happy with the meal they were being given.
He then moved on to an Anganwadi home to see and interact with the officers and women on the issues related health of women and children below the age of 5.



Gareth Thomas along with his team at the prehistoric rock paintings at Bhimbetka. Thomas spend a lot of time trying to understand more than thousand year old paintings before leaving back for Bhopal.





After spending more than an hour with the villagers and patiently hearing their problems, Thomas took time to visit the prehistoric rock paintings at Bhimbetka were he was deeply impressed by various paintings.
En route to the airport in the evening, Thomas went to the Boat Club at the Upper Lake to enjoy a ride on a pedal boat.




Gareth Thomas enjoys the pedal boat ride with his team members at the Upper lake before saying adieu to Bhopal as he walks past an push cart seller at the Boat Club.