The United States on Monday ruled out opening its Consulate in the IT capital, but assured to step up facilities in its mission at Chennai to attend to visa seekers from Karnataka.
"There is no prospect of opening a Consul General office in India after the one opened in Hyderabad last year", Andrew T Simkin, U.S. Consul General in Chennai, told reporters here after calling on Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa.
During his 30-minute long interaction with the Chief Minister, Mr. Simkin, however, assured to increase facilities for people of Karnataka who go to the Chennai Consulate for visa and other documentation.
Currently the interview time has been reduced to two-days, he said adding it planned to provide "virtual presence post" through a dedicated website for the state's people to apply for visa, he said. He said there were no concerns about the safety of US citizens living in the city.
Later, Mr. Yeddyurappa told reporters that he had informed Mr. Simkin of his visit to the U.S. during October, ahead of the Global Investors Meet planned in December to lure investors.
He said he had sought the help of U.S. authorities in providing information to investors about the meet and impressed upon them (authorities) that Bangalore offered a congenial atmosphere for investments.
