Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said Punjab would emerge as the top State in the country as far as skilling its people was concerned by establishing 2,000 skill centers to impart training to one lakh youth at a cost of Rs 300 crore.Addressing an august gathering of Industrialists at the Mohali Industries Association (MIA) office here, Deputy Chief Minister said one skill development center would be set up in each cluster of four villages by March 2016. He announced that the government was in discussion with the industry and would launch all the centers simultaneously. “I do not believe in half measures. I am convinced skilling our youth is the only way to take the State forward and it is due to this that the government had decided to create all the skill centers itself. Once the centers are created they will be handed over to prominent industries and organizations who can train the youth as per the requirements of the industry to ensure they get hundred per cent employment upon completion of their course”, he added.
Mr Badal also announced the government had big plans for SAS Nagar which were already being implemented. He said with the creation of SAS Nagar as an IT hub as much as one lakh jobs would be created in the next five years. He said international airport at SAS Nagar would also act as a catalyst for development of this town. He said the airport would emerge as a cargo hub for North India in the next four years resulting in creation of more employment avenues for the youth of the region.Announcing other measures to give edge to Punjab in the technological sector, the Deputy Chief Minister said that by the end of December, 2015 every village in the state would have 4G connectivity and on the fruition of this project, undertaken in collaboration with Reliance, Punjab would become the only state to accomplish this feat.Divulging more, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Rs. 20,000 crore would be spent on the project of 4-6 laning of all the major highways and strengthening of the road infrastructure in the state and every district headquarters would be connected with four to six lane expressways.
Coming down heavily on the Congress, Deputy CM said that Punjab is making great strides in every field but there were some people who are unnecessary blowing their trumpet about an imaginary financial crisis and claiming the entire youth of the State was on drugs. Mr Badal informed that Punjab is fighting a national war on drugs and it is being used as a transit route for the drugs coming through Pakistan-Afghanistan route. He said that not a single drug or any such substance is being produced in the state. He said that had it not been for the vigilance of the checking the flow of drugs by the security apparatus of Punjab, the menace of drugs would have spread to other parts of the country also.Addressing the concerns of the industrialists conveyed by President Mohali Industries Association (MIA) Rajiv Vashisht, Deputy Chief Minister announced Rs. 50 lakh for the skill development centre being setup by the MIA and also agreed to the demand of including one representative of industrialists in the state industrial corporations and boards. Declaring to shift the dumping ground in the industrial area Deputy CM also called a high level meeting of representatives of MIA to address their pending concerns besides allowing addition or change in business activities and vertical constructions in the industrial plots. Mr Badal also consented to the demand of 5-5 marla plots for the industrialists and said that problems in VAT refund would also be resolved very soon.
On the occasion MIA president Rajiv Vashisht while welcoming Mr Badal lauded the overall development and creating industry friendly environment in the state said MIA would actively participate in the Investment Summit besides cooperate with government to boost the growth and progress.On this occasion, MP Prem Singh Chandumajra, former MLA Ujagar Singh Badali, Chairperson District Planning Committee Bibi Amanjot Kaur Ramoowalia, DSGMC General Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, BJP District President Sukhwinder Singh Goldy, Harsukhinder Singh Babbi Badal and representatives of the trade and industry of Mohali were also present.