Chandigarh, Jun 27 (IANS): Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said efforts were on for the release of Karnal youth Vishal Jude, who is lodged in an Australian jail.

The Chief Minister said he would meet External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar again regarding the release of Jude and will urge the Australian High Commission to intervene and ensure his safety.

On the second day of his visit in Manali, the Chief Minister held a virtual meeting with representatives of NGOs and NRIs living in Australia and thanked them for extending help to the state by sending oxygen concentrators and other health equipment to India amid the pandemic.

BJP State President O.P. Dhankhar and other officials also joined this virtual meeting.

The Chief Minister said he has spoken to the External Affairs Minister, who has assured full cooperation regarding Jude's release.

Khattar urged the diaspora to invest in the state. He said the state has moved towards sin the last six-and-a-half years. Ease-of-doing business and single-window clearance system for setting up new industries have put the state on the world map.

In the state, 10 industrial model townships with world-class facilities have been set up. A separate MSME department has been created for the purpose of promoting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Dhankhar also thanked the NRIs for their help in India during the pandemic.