UNIDO team submits report on `Punjab Industrial Review'

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today constituted a core group under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh to study the report on 'Punjab Industrial Review' submitted by the three-member team led by Consultant United Nation Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Dr Isher Judge Ahluwalia to evolve consensus as to what should be the New Industrial Policy of the state, likely to come in force from January one, 2009.    

Taking part in the deliberations during a presentation made by the UNIDO team leader Ahluwalia on the Punjab Industrial Review, Badal asked the core group to submit its report by October 15, 2008.    

The document of the core group would be thoroughly deliberated upon by the members of infrastructure Council, large industrial board, medium industrial board and small industrial board and it would be referred to Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Local Government, Industries and Commerce Minister Manoranjan Kalia with other members being Finance and Planning Minister, Agriculture Minister (Agro-industries) and Housing and Urban Development Minister or their representatives.    

The final recommendations of the GoM on the new industrial policy would be brought to the consideration of Council of Ministers latest by December 31, 2008 so that the new industrial policy is operative from January one, 2009.    

The Chief Minister said that the industry in Punjab had been passing through a difficult time due to locational disadvantage, discriminatory policies of Central Government providing concessions to neighbouring states and global competition.