Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday announced Rs. 32 crore for the complete facelift of the Ludhiana Focal Points, and said a new airport at Halwara would be a game changer for the region’s industrial development.Addressing a gathering of captains of industry here, the Chief Minister said all requisite approvals for the Halwara domestic airport had been received from Centre and the Ministry of Defence.On the occasion, the Chief Minister also handed over sanction letter of Development of Oil Expeller Parts and Manufacturing Cluster at Ludhiana to Special Purpose Vehicle, to be set up at a cost of Rs 15 crore. The Chief Minister urged the industry to partner with the state government in its endeavour to put Punjab back on the path of industrial growth, assuring them of the state’s full support to facilitate the industry. He promised the industry that his government would continue incorporating changes, as necessary, in the industrial policy to address their evolving needs in the new industrial environment. If the Constitution can be amended 122 times then the industrial policy could also be changed to facilitate the industry, he remarked.
Captain Amarinder exhorted the industry to generate more and more jobs to end the unemployment problem in the state and to wean drug affected youth away from the menace.Noting that Punjab had lost out in industrial development at the time of the state’s partition due to the threat from Pakistan, the Chief Minister stressed the need to develop industry in the state to ensure its development in view of the agricultural crisis faced by it.Food Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu lambasted the previous Government for blatantly ignoring the interests of the industry during its 10-year misrule, and lauded Captain Amarinder for his initiatives to revive the industry.Industries Minister Sunder Sham Arora noted that the Chief Minister had provided for special incentives to border areas in the state industrial policy.
Earlier, CEO Invest Punjab Rajat Agarwal listed out the various incentives given to the industry by the state government, including the Rs 5 power tariff and abolition of truck unions. CEO Hero Cycles Pankaj Munjal thanked the Chief Minister for according instant approval to the Cycle Valley to be established at Ludhiana, while Kamal Oswal of Oswal Group said that under the dynamic leadership of Captain Amarinder, the industry was ready to play the role of the state's brand ambassadors.Industrialist Upkar Singh Ahuja noted that Punjab had got four cluster units with another six in the pipeline, which would give further impetus to industrial growth in the state. In his vote of thanks, MP Ludhiana Ravneet Bittu said the new positive sentiment in the industry was palpable, for which the credit went to the Chief Minister. Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included MLAs Rakesh Pandey, Kuldip Sing Vaid, Sanjay Talwar, Mayor Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Balkar Singh Sandhu and Additional Chief Secretary Industries Vinni Mahajan.