Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann Thursday exhorted industrialists to set up their units in rural areas of the state, saying it will also help to generate employment for youth and announced to set up a dedicated police force to facilitate the tourists coming to Amritsar.
Setting up units in rural areas will serve the twin motives as it will give impetus to industrial development on one hand and open new vistas of employment for youth on the other. He also announced to give impetus to industrialisation in the border districts of the state.
Interacting with the industrialists during Sarkar Sannatkar Milni — town hall meetings — in Amritsar and Jalandhar, Mann said his government is committed to ensure the holistic development of the industry in the border region.
Mann, in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, also said that no stone will be left unturned in facilitating the industry in the state. He said the AAP government is fully committed to accelerate industrialist development in Punjab.
The state government will set up a convention centre at Jalandhar, near the airport and railway station so that industrialists are facilitated, he noted. The state government will ensure judicious use of canal water for the industrial units on the lines of water being provided to the farmers for agriculture purposes. Mann said that this will facilitate the industry in its smooth working and facilitation.
The state government is working on a policy to utilise the CSR funds for the development of industrial focal points. Likewise, he said that police posts are being created in focal points and industrial areas for law and order purposes.
Making a scathing attack on the opposition parties, Mann said that those who were living in palatial houses during their heydays of power had been ousted from the political scene. The state has witnessed the dawn of a new era as these people who were considered invincible have been shown the door by the people. For the first time, people-centric decisions have acquired centre stage in the process of governance, he said. Mann and Kejriwal said that during the previous regimes, industrialists used to be scared to become successful as the leaders under previous governments used to harass them.
In Amritsar, Kejriwal, who arrived on a three-day Punjab visit on Wednesday, said the previous governments used to see industrialists with “shak ki nigah” (eye of suspicion) and always think how much they can milk them, but the present government considers them “our partners”. “We consider you our partners. Punjab’s development cannot be possible without you,” said Kejriwal.
The AAP convener said it is essential that the industry within the state should be first taken care of and their issues redressed. He also said that in some states big investors meetings are held and then it is claimed that MoUs worth crores of rupees were signed, but later on it is found that these don’t materialise on ground. “But the Punjab CM went to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Chennai, and held one-on-one meetings with industrialists… These meetings are converting in investments,” he said.
During 18 months of Mann government, over Rs 50,000 crore investments have come in Punjab, he claimed, adding that it as a big achievement and will create 2.86 lakh jobs. Kejriwal also said that when youths get jobs, those of whom who have got into drug problem, will also get weaned away.
Mann said the state government will construct exclusive sub-stations for providing power to the industry. It will go a long way in giving much-needed impetus to the industry in the state Kejriwal said that there were 882 steel foundry units in Amritsar in the past but now only 126 units are operating due to the apathy of previous state governments.
The Delhi Chief Minister promised that the Punjab government will take this number to 2,000 industries with its industry-friendly policies. He also said that Punjab has huge potential and can even leave behind China in the sphere of manufacturing. “Punjabis are born entrepreneurs,” said Kejriwal.
He pointed out that the reforms brought in the industrial sector by the Mann government helped businesses to flourish and move forward with ease, as he cited the introduction of the “green stamp paper” in this regard, saying it has all the required clearances needed for setting up the industry and “this is the best single window system in the country”.
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Mann said that during the past 18 months, investment worth Rs 50,840 crore has been roped in for the state.
Tata Steel has made the biggest investment in the state after Jamshedpur, he said, adding that other companies like Jindal Steel, Virbio, Class and others are making investments in the state.
Many industrialists at the event said that some concerns and issues they raised have been promptly resolved or assurance has been given by authorities that these will be resolved at the earliest. Mann said that he is committed to the inclusive development of the holy city Amritsar, and roads leading to Sri Darbar Sahib will also be repaired on priority.
“In Amritsar, we will establish a police unit related to tourism. It will be started as a pilot project in the holy city, which sees heavy tourist footfall each day. The personnel in this unit will have a special uniform so that tourists can identify them from a distance and they will extend all kinds of help which tourists may need,” Mann said. Mann also said that two cities, Amritsar and Patiala, have been chosen for pilot project where electric shuttle buses will be introduced.