Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today impressed upon the US ambassador Ms Nancy. J Powell to make huge investments in the upcoming Medicity and Educity projects at New Chandigarh (Mullanpur). Mr. Badal made this offer to the visiting US envoy who called on him at his residence this morning. The Chief Minister apprised Ms. Powell that he had already cleared both these prestigious projects being developed as medical and education hub to provide the world class healthcare services and the state-of-the-art education facilities to the student right from kinder garden to university level to enable them to compete globally. The US ambassador assured Mr. Badal of bringing major investments in these ventures by mobilizing the US based entrepreneurs and investors, for which the Chief Minister promised to extend all possible help and cooperation.
Ms. Powell informed that the US embassy would soon set up an American business desk at Mohali which would be manned the Mohali Industrialists Association to garner investments from US and a nodal officer would be appointed from its embassy to facilitate their entrepreneurs who were keen to make investment in Punjab. She hugely appreciated the efforts of the state government for establishing the prestigious Indian School of Business besides World Class infrastructure including expressways and the upcoming international airport at Mohali which would give a fillip to the bilateral trade thereby consolidating the state’s industrial economy.
Highly impressed by laudatory steps initiated by the Chief Minister for the protection of the women against the gender related crimes in the state, Ms. Powell said that other states should also follow the suit to safeguard the rights of the women as pioneered in Punjab. The Chief Minister said that he had been inspired by the philosophy and teachings of the first Guru of Sikhs Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji who championed the cause of women empowerment and called upon the mankind to respect her who gave birth to the mighty kings. Mr. Badal reiterated his government’s resolves to ensure respect and modesty of women and girl children at all costs, to effectively combat the crimes against them in general and maintained their self-esteem by reposing confidence in the law and order machinery in particular.
The Chief Minister apprised Ms. Powell that no complainant of gender related cases was being called at Police stations as a mark of respect and dignity of the women. Mr. Badal categorically said that he has given clear cut instructions to the police that they would only be examined at her residence by the police authorities accompanied by a lady police official that too in the presence of her family members so that the women complainants could freely come forth with their grievances without any fear, hesitation or inhibition. He also informed that 500 lady Sub-Inspectors (SIs) would soon be appointed and posted in all the Police stations across the state to strengthen the law enforcing machinery for effectively combating gender related crime.
Seeking Chief Minister’s response on the issue of inclusive development, Mr. Badal told the US Ambassador that the recent landslide victory of the SAD-BJP alliance in the Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections was reflective of people’s unstinted support and trust in the policies and programs of the state government. Mr. Badal was confident that the same streak of victory would be repeated in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Badal unequivocally said that the peace, communal harmony and brotherhood were the redeeming factors for overall development and prosperity in the state during SAD-BJP regime spanning over nearly seven years.
Dwelling on the agrarian economy of the state, Mr. Badal envisaged Ms. Powell’s support in pursuing their agriculture persification program through making lucrative investments in the agro and food processing industry to give further impetus to the farming sector. Striking a positive note, Ms. Powell assured the Chief Minister that she would certainly persuade the entrusted key-players in the field of healthcare and education based in US to set up their ventures at the upcoming New Chandigarh. She also informed Mr. Badal that the concept of community college aimed at imparting vocational training could also be launched at Educity in New Chandigarh. The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar. Consul and Second Secretary US Embassy Mr. Aaron Martz and its Senior Advisor Mr. A.Sukesh were also present on the occasion.