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The cancellation of Union minister Syed Shahnawaz Hussian's visit to Canada following the latest Cabinet reshuffle in which he was shifted from the coal to the civil aviation ministry, took several businessmen who had fixed up meetings with him by surprise.
Hussain was to pay an official visit to Canada between September 6 and 13 with Winnipeg (Manitoba) as his first stop.
He was to head a nine-member delegation, which was to include Coal Secretary S Arha, Joint Secretary Dr S Behuria, Southern Coalfield Chairman G J Jha, among others.
In fact, Canadian High Commissioner in New Delhi Peter Sutherland, who is here these days meeting Canadian companies with interests in India, didn't have any inkling that Hussain's visit has been canceled.
In an e-mail message to some people in Winnipeg, who were supposed to meet Hussain, the department of foreign affairs in Ottawa indicated that the visit has been cancelled.
Dr Rey Pagtakhan, Canada's Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific, was to receive Hussian in Winnipeg.
Winnipeg-based Cubex Limited, which manufactures mining equipment and has a joint venture in Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), had even arranged a formal reception on September 7 in honour of the visiting dignitary.
To their dismay, the reception had to be cancelled.
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