Jamshedpur, July 4: Two industrialised cities, set apart by thousands of miles, are on the verge of forging a lasting relationship with an aim to improve the inhabitants’ living standards.

The two cities in question are Jamshedpur and Gunsan on the west coast of South Korea with a population of about three lakh.

The house of Tatas has taken the initiative to bring the two cities together.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two cities is scheduled to be signed later this month after the mayor of Gunsan, Kang Kuen Ho, arrives here on July 26. Representing the city on the august occasion would be the deputy commissioner of East Singhbhum, Sunil Kumar Burnwal.

Confirming the historic agreement, the deputy commissioner told The Telegraph this afternoon that the MoU would help the people of the two cities develop and strengthen their bonds, cutting across international barriers.

“The MoU will be signed at a public function on July 27,” Burnwal said, adding that it will be a significant event for the people of the steel city.

“We have despatched our invitation today to the mayor of Gunsan to attend the function and be a signatory of the MoU,” he pointed out.

“The house of Tatas is a pioneer in the country in the arena of industrialisation. Their foray into Gunsan to acquire the Daewoo commercial vehicle plant will help both the cities create a bond and provide the scope to share experiences on different aspects of life,” the invitation letter said.

When the chairman of Tata Motors, Ratan Tata, signed an agreement to take over the Daewoo commercial vehicle plant at Gunsan in March this year, a note of understanding was signed not only for the promotion and growth of the automobile industry there, but also to have a “sister city” relationship with Jamshedpur, home to Tata Motors’ oldest automobile manufacturing unit.

“Some time after Ratan Tata signed that understanding, the mayor of Gunsan wrote to Tata Motors officials requesting them to take firm steps to sign the MoU between the city and Gunsan for forging the ‘sister province’ relationship,” district officials said.

“Tata Motors requested the district administration to render assistance in this unique venture. The state government sought central government’s ‘no objection’ as well. Three ministries of the Union government — external affairs, finance and urban development — gave their nod to the proposal,” they pointed out.

According to Burnwal, the MoU would enable Jamshedpur and Gunsan to conduct exchange programmes involving civil servants, civilians, students, administrative staff and scholars at regular intervals.

“Similarly, on the economic front, both the cities shall strive hard to develop the auto units. Auto parts manufacturers of the city shall be invited to take part in the international accessories show at Gunsan, which takes place every October,” he said.

“Besides, there will be constant exchange of environment pollution control measures adopted in the two industrialised cities,” Burnwal quipped.

“In addition, there will be exchange programmes in the fields of art and culture, education and sports. It will give the people of the two cities the opportunity to understand each other better,” he said.