Congress challenges Majithia to a debate

Tuesday, 20/08/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130820/punjab.htm#3

Jalandhar : The Pradesh Congress today dared minister Bikram Majithia to an open debate on the plight of industry in the state. Addressing mediapersons here, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) spokesman Sukhpal Khaira alleged that Majithia had procured an "all is well" certificate from rich corporates like Hero Cycles and Khanna Paper Mills owing to his political clout.

“But he cannot deny the ground reality of the near collapse of the medium and small-scale industry in the state,” Khaira said.

He reiterated that PPCC president Partap Singh Bajwa was right in saying that industry in Punjab was passing through a bad phase. He claimed that a study of the data pertaining to six industrial centres-Mandi Gobindgarh, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Goraya, Mohali and Batala- proved that the new industrial policy had failed to deliver.

"Planning Commission figures show that the industrial growth in Punjab shrunk from 15.90 per cent during fiscal 2007-08 to 9.19 per cent during 2011-12. The total growth dropped from 9.05 per cent during 2007-08 to 5.19 per cent during 2012-13."

Khaira alleged that it appeared that Majithia had arm-twisted industry leaders into giving a certificate to the government performance. "No industry can afford to annoy the government. The certificate procured by corporate giants is meaningless and cannot change the dismal picture.”

Chandigarh: Partap Singh Bajwa, PPCC chief, said on Tuesday that he stood by the statement made be him that industry in the state was in the doldrums. He said no businessman would be willing to say so openly for fear of being victimised by the political masters.

“No worthwhile industrial house has dared to venture into Punjab. A number of established industrial houses have moved out of the state to implement their expansion plans,” he said.

“Let the government come out in black and white on the new industrial houses that have come to Punjab and the existing ones who have expanded in Punjab,” a defiant Bajwa said.

In a joint statement , PPCC vice-president OP Soni, Rajanbir Singh, Rakesh Pandey, Surinder Dawar and Bharat Bhushan Ashu said the state government had pressured Hero Cycles and Khanna Paper Mill into denying they were setting up units in other states. They said the industrialists did not want to antagonise an “arrogant leader like Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal”