To boost industry in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today came out with a "Make and Implement Your Own Policy" for industry and solicited whole-hearted support and co-operation from entrepreneurs and industrialists to help Punjab emerge as the front-runner in the country's industrial map. | |
| Presiding over a Punjab State Annual Session: 2006-07 and session on "Vision Punjab: The Next Five Years" organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, the chief minister said under the new scheme, industry could formulate its own policies and the government would provide a platform through industrial and trade development boards "" one each for large, medium and small scale industry and trade for the formulation of the policy and revival of industrial economy. |
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| He announced that these boards would be comprised of industrialists and traders and their chairmen would also be from among the representatives from trade and industry. He announced that these chairmen would be given the rank of a Cabinet Minister. |
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| He also asked the industry to set up Research and Development wings, help in providing employment to local youths and set up Adarsh Schools for providing quality education to poor but intelligent students. |
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| Referring to the dismal financial scenario, Badal said that his government had inherited a poor economy as the state was under whopping debt of Rs. 53,000 crores. |
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| He said that during the last five years the state's economy had seen a downward trend with agricultural growth at a meager 2 per cent, industrial growth rate at just 2.8 per cent and the per capita income of Punjab had been relegated to fifth slot. |
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| Ironically Punjab which was enjoyed a top slot was lagging in FDI at 1.25 per cent as against neighbouring Haryana's 5 per cent. The special concessions given to industry in Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Uttaranchal resulted in the flight of industry from Punjab to these states. |
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| He however, said that he was determined to seek these concessions for Punjab too on the same pattern otherwise it would hamper the entire industrial growth of the state. He would soon seek a meeting with Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh to press for a Special Package for Punjab . |
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| Badal said that he would request Prime Minister for his intervention to bring Bathinda Refinery Project on rails. He said that the Rs 16,000 crore Bathinda Refinery Project had been approved during his regime and would see the light of the day only in his regime. |
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| He said that augmenting power generation was on the priority of his government and additional 1,000 MW power would be generated in Punjab within next six months. |
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| He also announced that industrial projects in border districts would get his government's special attention and he would pursue with the Centre for the grant of incentives to border districts at par with Uttaranchal, J&K and Himachal Pradesh. He clarified that Octroi would remain abolished and filing of "C" forms would be further simplified. |
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