Senior Congress leader and the Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday urged the Bhagwant Mann led State Government to ensure level playing field for the development of industry in the state.
Bajwa said that the industry in Punjab has been feeling ignored for a long time. “Now that the Government is in the middle of formulating a new industrial policy for the year 2022, it is imperative for this sector to get its long pending credit,” he said, pointing that various industrial associations as well as individual industrial houses of micro, small, and medium industry have already cautioned the Government not to enhance power tariff besides the groundwater extraction charges.
The Government had invited suggestions from all across Punjab asking various sectors of the industry to send their suggestions and recommendations for the draft Punjab Industrial and Development Policy-2022.
“The industry demanded that power tariff must not be enhanced from Rs five per unit to Rs 5.50 as it would put a heavy burden on its finances. In fact, the industry pilots suggested that power tariff should not go beyond Rs 5.25,” he said.
He also pointed that the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had suggested an annual increase in the power tariff to just 1.5 per cent instead of three per cent.
Adding, Bajwa demanded that the Chief Minister should also ensure that the law and order in the state remained under check and control failing which no one would be keen to invest in Punjab. “Besides, it would also adversely impact the unemployment opportunities for the youth in the state,” he added.