Political adviser to chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and former BJP minister Tikshan Sood and state secretary of BJP Punjab, Subhash Sharma, met the protesting industrialists of Mandi Gobindgarh, and assured them of solving their issues as early as possible.
The protest by the industrialists entered its 25th day on Saturday.
Subhash Sharma said that they had a talk with deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal over the phone, who asked them to talk to the excise and taxation commissioner on the grievances of the industrialists.
He said that a meeting had been fixed up for Tuesday with excise and taxation commissioner Anurag Verma to sort out the matter.
He said that BJP president Kamal Sharma had directed them to go and find out the problems of the industrialists and, during the interaction with the industrialists, they learnt that the industrialists were being allegedly harassed by the excise and taxation officials and they were upset with the bureaucracy.
He said that the industrialists clearly told them that they were not holding the protest against the government, but the protest was against the excise and taxation officials, who were creating hurdles for them on the pretext of tax recovery and due to their attitude they were suffering losses in the business.
He said that there was a need to revive the industry in the state and added that, in order to do so, the government might withdraw free electricity being provided to big farmers. Then the revenue earned from this power will be used to revive the industry.
{{/usCountry}}He said that there was a need to revive the industry in the state and added that, in order to do so, the government might withdraw free electricity being provided to big farmers. Then the revenue earned from this power will be used to revive the industry.
{{/usCountry}}The industrialists' problems were also taken up by president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee Partap Singh Bajwa, who had decided to gherao the chief minister's residence on September 29 to press the government to accept the demands of the industrialists. However, the Congress dropped the plan of gheraoing the CM's residence when Sukhbir Singh Badal assured them of solving their problems.
After that the industrialists resumed work in their industries, but continued to hold protest against the government till their demands were meet.