Cautioning Punjab Government, the leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Sunil Jakhar on Sunday asserted that before embarking on new Agro Food Processing Industry Policy, 2013, the Government should ponder over the fate of existing agro food processing industries which are either closed due to losses or are struggling for survival.
“While agro food processing industries are needed in Punjab, there exists a huge gap between Punjab Government’s announcements and what they actually deliver on the ground,” said Jakhar. Punjab Government had announced Industrial Policy, 2013, two months back, but it is yet to get notified, without which it is mere paper exercise, he added.
In 2008, Punjab Government had also announced the policy of industrial parks by giving them lavish concessions and yet nothing worthwhile has taken shape nor the avenues of employment have been generated, pointed Jakhar.
He further pointed out that Punjab Government in 2008 extended lavish concession in industrial policy applicable in Mohali, ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala, and approved five mega projects worth Rs 22,780 crore, out which only Rs 1,935 crore have been invested till date. Of the biggest approved project of Rs 10,555 crore at Phagwara in Kapurthala, mere Rs 51.5 crore has been invested till date.
“These dismal figures of real investment explode the myth of State’s industrial friendly policy, while the fact remains that industrial houses have moved away from Punjab to other states due to bureaucratic apathy, red-tapism and inspector raj,” said Jakhar.
Blaming Punjab Government for “playing dumb charades of announcing policies for policy sake and doing nothing to get them implemented”, Jakhar said: “It is time to issue white paper on the real output of plethora of industrial policies that Punjab Government has announced so that people can judge for themselves the utility of these policies.”
He added, “The new Agro Food Processing policy is an exercise to deviate public attention from the issue of mortgaging of Government properties to raise money to meet basic expenses of Government like paying salaries.” The senior Congress leader said that the State Government was again backtracking on imposition of e-trip, which would again compel traders to hit the streets in protest.
“The Government is insensitive to the pain of traders which is forcing businessmen and entrepreneurs to move away from Punjab. The need of the hour is to save and protect existing industries and lift the burden of bureaucratic apathy and inspector raj,” he added. Concluding, Jakhar said that the existing industry in Punjab should be given electric power at cheaper rates comparable with other states so that they were able compete and survive.