Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday urged the Union Government to devise a comprehensive policy for developing the border belts into industrial hubs to counter the Chinese economic threat. At the same time, he reiterated his demand for a special package for the border States of Punjab and Rajasthan.
Capt Amarinder, addressing an interactive session with captains of Indian industry organised by Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion (PBIP), said that he had taken up the issue of establishing industrial corridors in border areas, especially from Pathankot down to the Pakistan border, with the Prime Minister last month, and was hopeful of a positive response.
He also assured the industry that their investments would be safe in Punjab and his Government would extend all possible support to them.
Pointing out that more than Rs 10,000 crores of investment had already flown into the State in the last one year, Capt Amarinder said that the Government was targeting to triple the amount annually.
“The Government is there to facilitate industry, whose interests would be kept in mind while formulating policies,” said Capt Amarinder, adding that the work culture in Punjab was highly conducive to promoting industry, which was needed to generate employment and revenue in the State.
“In my 55 years in politics, I have never seen any disruption in industry in Punjab, which has the most friendly labour,” he added.
Capt Amarinder also sought the industry’s inputs to further strengthen the new Industrial and Business Development Policy, which was designed to promote ease of doing business.
Pointing out that Punjab had lost out on industry at the time of bifurcation in 1966, he sought the constructive support of the industry in the State’s development and in dealing with problems such as groundwater depletion and agricultural crisis, as well as unemployment.
Capt Amarinder also stressed the need for policy initiatives for better water management, given the critical water situation in the State, and crop diversification to overcome the crisis and also improve farm income.
During a question-answer session that followed, the Chief Minister said that the State Cabinet had recently approved operational guidelines for the industrial policy implementation, which placed significant focus on renewable and solar energy.
Invest Punjab CEO Rajat Aggarwal said that the state was placing special thrust on rooftop projects, besides providing land on lease coupled with incentives.
To a query related to digitization, the Chief Minister said that his government had identified 400 Government schools for computerization in the first phase, with a total of over 17,000 schools to be computerized in the coming years.
Highlighting Punjab’s industrial advantages besides listing incentives offered by the Government, Aggarwal said that Punjab was providing power to industry at lowest tariffs in the country, along with skilled labour and land for setting up new ventures, besides having the best air and road network.