The Hinduja Group on Wednesday offered to help Punjab in addressing the stubble burning problem by lifting all the paddy straw from the fields for use in ethanol plants.The offer came during a meeting between Chairman of Hinduja Group, Prakash Hinduja, with Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. During the meeting, Hinduja, who was leading a high- level delegation, also showed interest in partnering the State’s progress through investments in agri, transport, banking, healthcare and automobile sectors.Offering transport and technology solutions to mitigate the menace of stubble burning, the Chairman, who was here to discuss investment opportunities as part of the Progressive Punjab Investors Summit, assured Captain Amarinder that the tippers of the Group could ensure timely lifting of stubble from fields to support the state government’s efforts to eliminate the problem. The Chief Minister asked his Chief Principal Secretary to look into the Group’s proposal, said an official spokesperson after the meeting.The Group, said Hinduja, could also make investments in the banking sector to facilitate loans for unemployed youth, self-help groups and progressive entrepreneurs to establish their ventures. Acceding to a proposal from Captain Amarinder Singh, the Group also agreed to join hands with the State Government in its flagship programme ‘YAARI Enterprises’, under the Rozgar Mission, to provide easy loans to skilled drivers to run buses, for which permits would be allotted by the State Government.
Hinduja said the Group was also interested in partnering with the State Government and Israeli companies to utilize superior technology for enhancing the quality of fruit produce to international standards, and exporting the same through Joint Ventures on profit sharing basis.He also proposed a Public Private Partnership with the Government of Punjab in setting up a manufacturing unit for Ashok Leyland Group and a Driving School for skill development and employment generation in the state.While complementing the Chief Minister for building robust infrastructure, bringing massive transformation and encouraging NRIs to invest in Punjab, Hinduja also suggested policy interventions to obviate rising pollution levels from old vehicles in light of the BS-VI Norms, set to roll out from 1st April.Assuring his government’s full support in setting up the Group’s new projects in the state, the Chief Minister proposed the establishment of an auto park in Kapurthala district, for which the modalities could be finalized in short span of time. The Chief Minister lauded the vision of Group in offering loans to self-help groups and young entrepreneurs in setting up their ventures.The CM’s Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Industry and Commerce Vini Mahajan and the CM’s Principal Secretary Tejveer Singh were among those present at the meeting.