Diljit Rana, Baron Rana
Encyclopedia
Diljit Singh Rana, Baron Rana, MBE
(born 20 September 1938) is a British
politician and member of the House of Lords
. He is married to Lady Shruti Rana.
In June 2004, he was created a life peer
as Baron Rana, of Malone in the County of Antrim
.
and is the oldest sibling of three brothers and two sisters.
Rana left Punjab
in 1963 for England
, but now has been a resident of Belfast
since 1966. He had to repair his property portfolio over 25 times during the Troubles
in Northern Ireland because of bombings and arson attacks. "Being an Indian I should not have had any loyalty to Northern Ireland; I stayed there despite the problem," said Rana. Today, he is a successful property developer, hotelier and president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is director of Andras House, is a leading figure in the Indian community in Northern Ireland. He is India's honorary consul in Belfast.
Rana promotes business links between India and Northern Ireland and has been elected president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. He led a trade mission of 13 companies to India to explore business opportunities for Northern Ireland companies.
in Northern Ireland. The university conferred an honorary doctorate on Rana who led a delegation of academics from the university to India to explore educational partnerships and help develop university links between India and Northern Ireland. Rana also received an Honorary Doctorate from Bengal Engineering and Science University in West Bengal in November 2008.
, this site is owned by Dijit Rana. The site was previously a shirt factory of historic importance but was damaged in multiple arson attacks including major ones in 2001, and 2002, and was subsequently demolished without permission in 2003. A budget hotel originally envisioned for the site was still at the planning stage in 2009. Rana stated in April 2009 that his designers "we're trying to get things right this time", and communication was ongoing with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, and he hoped that "there will be a general welcome for our plans in what is a prime location in the city".
Rana was forced to comply with an Urgent Works Notice in 2003 from the Department of the Environment
. It obliged him to carry out immediate repairs to Cairndhu House, near Larne
. Rana was advised that the building would be taken from him if he did not comply with the works notice.
Rana himself states that he has protected a lot of heritage buildings in Belfast, including:
MBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
(born 20 September 1938) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politician and member of the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. He is married to Lady Shruti Rana.
In June 2004, he was created a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Rana, of Malone in the County of Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
.
Life
He was born in Sangol, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and is the oldest sibling of three brothers and two sisters.
Rana left Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
in 1963 for England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, but now has been a resident of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
since 1966. He had to repair his property portfolio over 25 times during the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
in Northern Ireland because of bombings and arson attacks. "Being an Indian I should not have had any loyalty to Northern Ireland; I stayed there despite the problem," said Rana. Today, he is a successful property developer, hotelier and president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He is director of Andras House, is a leading figure in the Indian community in Northern Ireland. He is India's honorary consul in Belfast.
Rana promotes business links between India and Northern Ireland and has been elected president of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce. He led a trade mission of 13 companies to India to explore business opportunities for Northern Ireland companies.
Awards and philanthropy
Rana was awarded an MBE in 1996, for his contribution to the economic regeneration of the city of Belfast through the development of hotels, restaurants, fashion shops and modern office accommodation. Rana has set up a charitable trust of Rs.50 million for a school and a college named Taxila, in his native village Sanghol, near Chandigarh, India. The new college has collaborative links with the University of UlsterUniversity of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
in Northern Ireland. The university conferred an honorary doctorate on Rana who led a delegation of academics from the university to India to explore educational partnerships and help develop university links between India and Northern Ireland. Rana also received an Honorary Doctorate from Bengal Engineering and Science University in West Bengal in November 2008.
Disputes
A dispute has continued for many years over the redevelopment plans of the Tillie & Henderson factory site in DerryDerry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, this site is owned by Dijit Rana. The site was previously a shirt factory of historic importance but was damaged in multiple arson attacks including major ones in 2001, and 2002, and was subsequently demolished without permission in 2003. A budget hotel originally envisioned for the site was still at the planning stage in 2009. Rana stated in April 2009 that his designers "we're trying to get things right this time", and communication was ongoing with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, and he hoped that "there will be a general welcome for our plans in what is a prime location in the city".
Rana was forced to comply with an Urgent Works Notice in 2003 from the Department of the Environment
Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)
The Department of the Environment is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for the Environment.-Aim:...
. It obliged him to carry out immediate repairs to Cairndhu House, near Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...
. Rana was advised that the building would be taken from him if he did not comply with the works notice.
Rana himself states that he has protected a lot of heritage buildings in Belfast, including:
- The Oxford Street Church
- Andras House (built in 1889)
- The Lincoln Building
- Renshaws Hotel.