Run up to Invest Punjab Summit: Showcase ‘brand Punjab’ before global head honchos, Bhagwant Mann tells industry
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday, called upon industrialists of the state to showcase ‘Brand Punjab’ before head honchos from across the world, who will be attending the ‘Invest Punjab Summit’.
Asserting that all-out efforts have been made in different parts of the country for ensuring success of the forthcoming ‘Invest Punjab Summit’, chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday, called upon industrialists of the state to showcase ‘Brand Punjab’ before head honchos from across the world, who will be attending the summit.
The summit is slated to be held in Mohali on February 23-24.
Mann, during an interaction with the industrialists, said the main objective of organising industry interactions, was to ensure maximum participation of the local industry in the summit.
Issue of poor infrastructure and dilapidated roads in focal points of Ludhiana, which often pose an embarrassment to industrialists, especially when they receive clients from abroad was one of the several issues raised by industrialists during the interaction.
Sachit Jain of Vardhman Special Steels, said the companies get customers from a number of countries but the roads of focal point areas are in such poor shape that it gets embarrassing for them in front of their foreign clients. “We invite clients from abroad to visit our factories and it is a harrowing time to drive on the roads of focal points in Ludhiana with them as it does not reflect a good image of the state industry,” said Jain. In response, the CM stated that budget has already been allocated for construction of roads in the areas and the issue will be resolved soon.
Sandeep Jain of Monte Carlo, raised the issue of increasing protests in Punjab and called it ‘dharna culture’. “Punjab is known for agriculture but we do not want it to be branded as ‘dharna culture’, he said while highlighting the increasing number of protests and rallies in state which cause disruption of traffic on state and national highways in Punjab.
Ashpreet Sahni, member, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Punjab said no industrial park has been allocated to the micro small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector for the last three decades and they should be allotted land at affordable prices. Sahni also spoke about ease of doing business in Punjab and the increased need to open avenues for youth to invest in startups in state.
Upkar Singh Ahuja, president, Chamber of Industrial and Commercial Undertaking (CICU) said bigger industry should be lured to invest in the state as there are ample engineering capabilities which can support any big investment and such steps can take industry forward.
Amit Thapar, chairman, CII Punjab, highlighted the recently notified groundwater charges and called them extremely high. He asserted on the need to focus on a separate export promotion policy. “We need strengthening and revamping of our transmission structure of PSPCL, a separate IT policy and a renewable energy policy.”
The chief minister said that the state government has introduced the new industrial policy for Punjab to give further impetus to industry and commerce. He said that this policy has been framed after due consultations with all the stakeholders, especially the industrialists. Mann said the state government will soon introduce colour coding for stamp papers to facilitate the industrialists for early clearance of their new projects. Mann said that he had gone to Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai to invite the industrialists to the summit.
‘Era of harassment to industry over’
During an interactive session with the captains of the industry in Jalandhar, Mann said that the era of harassment of the industrialists was over and the state government would now act as a facilitator to the industrial sector.
Mann said the government had already started providing single window facility for industry. The CM said that industrialists had played a key role in socio-economic growth of the country and had carved a niche for themselves across the globe. The state government would ensure that their interests were safeguarded, he added.
He said that efforts were on to start domestic flights from Adampur, Halwara and Bhisiana airports which will boost investments. Also, 20 dedicated rural industrial hubs across the state would be set up. These hubs will be equipped with state of the art infrastructure to facilitate the industrialists in setting up their units, he added.
“A Punjabi is a born entrepreneur and every one of us must make efforts to put state in the orbit of industrial growth trajectory,” he said. A thrust to industry would create job opportunities for youth on one hand and immensely contribute in progress of state on the other. He claimed that industrial honchos of other states were keen to invest in Punjab.
On the occasion, cabinet minister Anmol Gagan Maan also interacted with the industrialists and assured them full support from the state government. ( With inputs from Harpreet Kaur in Jalandhar)
