Development projects worth Rs 1,000 cr announced for Patiala

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today announced development projects for Patiala worth Rs 1,000 crore, including canal-based drinking water supply scheme of Rs 782 crore, and 84,000 new job cards under the MNREGA.
Addressing a public rally here, Singh said the new job cards will take the total number of cards under the MNREGA in Patiala district to 1,82,000.
He said his government had made a beginning and the next four-and-a-half years would witness massive industrial and economic development, notwithstanding the fiscal and revenue deficit inherited by his government from the previous regime.
Singh said his government was focusing on industrial development to revive the state's economy and some of leading captains of industry from India and abroad had also shown interest.

The chief minister said Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited had set up a 13-member committee to identify areas of investment and industrial development in the state and added that the business tycoon had discussed the same at their meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday.
The chief minister also unveiled plans for the development of Bathinda refinery downstream clusters and said Japan had evinced interest in setting up a township in Rajpura.

Singh referred to his meetings with top industrialists in Mumbai over the past two days and referred to the measures taken by his government to promote industry in the state in order to generate employment and boost overall development.

Patiala, an education hub, would benefit immensely from this industrial development, he added.
Singh alleged that the previous government had adopted a "vindictive" approach and completely "ignored" Patiala's concerns as it was his constituency, but, he said, the Congress government was working on the development of all regions, keeping their needs in view.
The chief minister announced allocation of Rs 38 crore for conversion of Banur canal from non-perennial to perennial and Rs 12.5 crore for the construction of 250 houses for the homeless, at Rs 5 lakh per house under the Shehri Awaas Yojna.
An allocation of Rs 10 crore was made for the completion of the Aeronautical Engineering College here, he said, adding that Rs 9.41 crore had been set aside for the completion of various ongoing and outstanding projects under the PIDB.

Former Union minister Preneet Kaur said the initiatives taken for Patiala by the state government were just the beginning and that the chief minister would fulfill all promises made to the people of the region.
Local Bodies and Tourism Minister Navjot Sidhu claimed that with the removal of the Majithias, the region would witness unprecedented development.
What had not happened in 50 years will happen now in just five years, Sidhu said.