Punjab Industries & Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora today said that the infrastructure in all Focal Points of the state would be upgraded as well as beautified and funds amounting to Rs 400 crore would be spent on this project. He said this while laying the foundation stone of the upgradation and beautification work of Focal Point Khanna, today. He was also accompanied by Fatehgarh Sahib MP Dr Amar Singh, Khanna MLA Mr Gurkirat Singh Kotli, Payal MLA Mr Lakhbir Singh Lakha, Bassi Pathana MLA Mr Gurpreet Singh GP, besides several others.While speaking at the function organised by Industrial Focal Point Welfare Association, Khanna, Mr Sunder Sham Arora said that the Focal Point of Khanna for in poor state for the last more than 30 years. He said that it was a long pending demand of the industrialists that the infrastructure at Focal Point Khanna should be upgraded.He said that the infrastructure of Focal Point Khanna, such as roads, streetlights, sewerage etc would be upgraded with a cost of Rs 10.65 crore. He said that the industrialists share of Rs 2.65 crore (out of total cost of the project) would also be paid by the PSIEC. He said that Focal Point Khanna is the first where this work has started, and soon, work would start in other parts of the state as well. He assured that the Capt Amarinder Singh led Punjab government is committed for promoting Punjab as an industrial and business hub.He said that industry is the backbone of our economy. He informed that there are around 2.55 lakh industries in Punjab, out of which 2.32 lakh were made operational when relaxation was given during lockdown. He said that thankfully, all these industries are following government directions and protocols and that is why, no positive cases have been reported from the industries. He said that even during the wheat procurement season, the Punjab government made elaborate arrangements to ensure that no person visiting mandis get affected by COVID 19. He said that around 27 lakh farmers had visited the mandis during wheat procurement season and not even single tested positive, which is an achievement for the Punjab government.
He said that he has written to the Union Railway Minister to arrange trains for bringing migrant workers who wish to come back from their home states and start working. He informed that the Punjab government had even sent buses to ferry the labour back to Punjab.With a view to utilise Punjab capacity in manufacturing of PPEs to fullest, Mr Sunder Sham Arora said that he has written to the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry to consider allowing its exports to other countries in need. He informed that at present, out of 131 units manufacturing government approved PPE kits and masks in the state, 121 are from Ludhiana alone. He said that to assist the industry in this hour of need, the Punjab government has also written to the Union government that instead of another loan, they should waive off bank interest of existing loans taken by industrialists for a period of at least six months.He informed that for the benefit of industry, new industrial parks are coming up on 135 acres at village Wazirabad near Mandi Gobindgarh, on 1100 acres near Mattewara (Ludhiana), Rajpura (Patiala), Mohali and Bathinda.MP Dr Amar Singh said that working on the demands of the Industrial Focal Point Welfare Association Khanna, he had raised the issue with MSME Minister Mr Nitin Gadkari and Secretary MSME Government of India. “The association had highlighted the extremely poor condition of roads and other infrastructure at Industrial Focal Point Khanna. In a letter dated 9th March 2020, Mr Nitin Gadkari approved the proposal for upgradation of Industrial Focal Point Khanna,” he said. He said that the Industrial focal point Khanna would be receiving funds under the MSME Ministry's Cluster Development Program. Dr Amar Singh assured the industrialists that all their issues would be taken up with the higher authorities from time to time.MLA Mr Gurkirat Singh Kotli said that Khanna constituency is developing under Capt Amarinder Singh. He said that funds amounting to Rs 35 crore have been approved by the Chief Minister for the development of Khanna constituency. He said that project worth Rs 200 crore for sewerage of Khanna has also been approved. He assured that there is no shortage of funds with the state government when it comes to carrying out overall development of Khanna.The industrialists present on the occasion thanked Cabinet Minister Mr Sunder Sham Arora, MP Dr Amar Singh, MLA Mr Gurkirat Singh Kotli and Additional Chief Secretary Mrs Vini Mahajan for clearing this project on priority basis.Prominent among those present on the occasion included PSIEC MD Mr Sumit Jarangal, PSIEC chief engineer Mr RS Bains, GMDIC Ludhiana Mr Mahesh Khanna, Dr Vasu Batra, besides a large number of industrialists.