As Rs848 crore lotus Integrated Texpark was dedicated to the State on Monday after almost a decade-long delay, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal sought three more textile parks for the State besides setting up of skill development centers (SDCs). In addition to this, Sukhbir also asked for setting up a Research and Development (R&D) center for the State.
The Deputy Chief Minister also sought Centre”s total support to encourage diversification in the State to save Punjab from the future agrarian crisis due to fast depleting ground water level.
The demands were put forth during the inaugural ceremony of the Textile Park promoted under the PPP mode by the Trident Group under Centre”s Integrated Textile Park Policy. The 100-acre lotus Integrated Texpark was finally inaugurated by Union Textile Minister Dr KS Rao on Monday at Daula village in Barnala district — becoming the second textile park in the state after Saluja Enterprises limited (SEl) in Machiwara.
The project worth Rs110 crore was approved in 2003, but the series of protests by farmer bodies over land acquisition delayed the project. The Texpark is a part of four textile parks approved by the Centre of which the one in Machiwara, is the only one functioning, while the two other textile parks in Doraha are yet to take off.
Seeking three more textile parks for the State, Sukhbir said that the State”s new industrial policy has special emphasis on textile sector and “the Government would ensure a special package for textile sector if Centre sanctions three more textile parks”.
Also demanding a Special Skill Development Center for the state, Sukhbir said that there was urgent need to introduce compulsory vocational education after Class X to encourage entrepreneurial skills of the youth.
Raising the issue of crop diversification, Sukhbir said that Punjab was out to promote diversification of agriculture sector with more focus of less water consuming crops including cotton and the “Centre must come out with a package to support the just cause of Punjab”.