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Ludhiana: Committed to boosting IT sector, says Cheema at IT expo
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the government plans to expand the IT sector into several cities in the near future
The Punjab government is actively working to promote the state’s information technology (IT) sector by reserving land for its development, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said here on Friday. He made the announcement while speaking at the “IT India Expo-2025”.
Cheema said the government plans to expand the IT sector into several cities in the near future. He highlighted the growing confidence of investors, noting that industrialists have already invested over ₹1 lakh crore in the state, with the IT sector attracting a large share of this investment. Praising the expo, Cheema extended his congratulations to the team for introducing new technologies to the residents of Ludhiana, particularly to students in the IT field. He noted that people from Ludhiana and other cities were participating in the exhibition, purchasing new products and sharing their experiences.
Calling it the largest exhibition of its kind in India, Cheema said the event had been in preparation for nearly three years. Over 1,000 dealers and approximately 22,000 registered students from the IT sector participated, gaining valuable insights into new technologies not available online.
Replying to a media query meanwhile, the finance minister said that during the flood crisis, the central government must support Punjab. He called on the Centre to release around ₹50,000 crore to compensate for GST losses and to provide ₹10,000 crore in Rural Development Fund (RDF) to the state.
He assured that the administration and ministers were fully prepared and are working tirelessly to manage the natural disaster. He reiterated his plea to the central government to provide special grants to help flood-affected families.
He also expressed condolences to the family of renowned comedian Jaswinder Singh Bhalla. He described Bhalla’s passing as an irreparable loss to the Punjabi film industry, noting that his comedy had brought joy to people across the globe.
