To put the State on pedestal of industrialisation, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to constitute an expert group for it “as agriculture, the mainstay of our economy, has reached plateau.”
Addressing a gathering during a function to honour nearly 250 micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs here at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), he said Punjab’s economy had been badly shattered on account of several factors, like partition immediately after freedom, decades long militancy, liberal concessions to neighbouring hill States “and finally discriminatory freight equalisation policy”.
Mr. Badal said due to the “hostile neighbour”, the economy of the border districts of the State has been hit badly and it was a high time for the Centre to address this issue on top priority by ensuring a level playing field for “hard working and innovative industrialists of the State”.
The five-time Chief Minister said with the squeezed margins of profit in the agriculture sector, the industry was the only viable solution for the development in the State.
Highlight the plight of current agrarian scenario, Mr. Badal impressed upon Mr. Modi to constitute another expert group to make agriculture a remunerative preposition.
He said the farmers of the country were facing a tough time and the Centre was duty-bound to bail out them from it.
Mr. Badal said farmers of Punjab needed special dispensation “as we owe an obligation towards the resilient peasantry which had sacrificed everything to make our nation self-sufficient in food production.”
He said the expert group must suggest “ways and means” to make farming a profitable venture.
Mr. Badal said besides providing cheapest power to the industrial sector in the country, the Punjab government has also taken a lead by setting up single window system to give early clearances to all prospective investors in the State.
“Punjab government is committed to provide the conducive business environment and will take every step to promote industry in a big way,” he said.
The Chief Minister said: “Ludhiana was the industrial hub of Punjab and has been ranked as the best city in India under the “Doing Business” category, by the World Bank, for two years in a row - 2009 and 2013“.
He said that the launch of SC/ ST hub by the Prime Minister reflected his vision to empower the underprivileged strata of society.
In his address, Union Minister of State and Punjab BJP Chief Vijay Sampla lauded the initiative taken by the NDA government in “empowering the SC/ST community by promoting entrepreneurship spirit among them“.
He said that this would immensely benefit around 34 per cent Dalit populace in the State. - PTI
