Amarinder woos industry captains in Mumbai
Thursday, 02/11/2017
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CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday unveiled the new 'Industrial and Business Development Policy, 2017' in Mumbai, exhorting captains of industry to join him in transforming the state into a vibrant industrial hub.
Addressing the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII’s) ‘Invest North’ summit here, the CM also invited feedback and suggestions for any changes in the industrial policy.
He said his government wanted to make Punjab a happy place for them to come and work. The industry will help in employment generation for the state’s young population. Agriculture cannot lead Punjab to prosperity as the excessive use of ground water has taken its toll, he said.
Selling Punjab as a “power surplus” state, he said it was supplying power to industry at the lowest rate of ₹5 per unit in the country. Amarinder also claimed that that his government had banned truck cartels, a step, which he said would boost industrial development.
“Punjab has a good work force and no labour problems, and industry alone could lead to holistic development of the state, he added.
Striking an emotional chord, he said the state had suffered its own set of problems, first due to the partition and then as a result of bifurcation.
It emerged as the country’s food basket while its industrial development suffered, he added.
Addressing the summit, Punjab finance minister Manpreet Badal said the government wanted to transform Punjab from an agricultural into an industrial state, in the next four and a half years.
Responding to a question from the audience at the summit, the Chief Minister said his government, which had already launched programmes to encourage women entrepreneurs, was open to considering subsidy for them to further boost their employment potential.
