Chief minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday launched the 24 sector-wise industrial advisory committees as part of efforts to establish the state as a hub of industry and commerce. These committees were announced by the industry and commerce minister, Sanjeev Arora.
Addressing a gathering here, Kejriwal alleged that the era prior to 2022 was dominated by extortion, where industrialists were coerced by political leaders to give up stakes in their businesses. “As a result, industries fled Punjab, and the state was pushed into a crisis, particularly with the drug menace,” he claimed.
Referring to the industrial advisory committees, he said these committees will study best practices from other states and replicate them in Punjab to boost industrial growth. Mann, while recalling the government-industry interaction in September 2023, said the idea of these 24 sector-specific committees was born out of those consultations. These committees will be responsible for drafting detailed strategies tailored to each industrial domain, he said.
The CM stated that since March 2022, Punjab has received investment proposals worth ₹1.14 lakh crore, leading to the creation of over 4.5 lakh job opportunities. “Punjab has become a preferred destination for global investors, with countries such as Japan, the USA, Germany, the UK, Dubai, South Korea, Singapore, and Spain showing keen interest in the state,” he claimed.