Punjab Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today announced the State was coming up with a new policy under which all sanctions required by traders could be secured online.Presiding over the state level Maharaja Agarsain Jayanti organized by Aggarwal Maha Sabha here, the Deputy chief minister said the new policy, which would come into effect in one month, would ensure that traders would not have to visit any government office for any purpose including payments and sales tax purposes.Mr Badal also assured traders gathered from across the State, that Punjab had also prepared a blue print to abolish the ‘inspector raaj’ system and that within next six months the state would get rid of this ‘unwanted traditional exercise and administrative compulsion’.
Reiterating his commitment to bring ‘industrial revolution’ in Punjab, Mr. Badal said the State had already launched a path breaking Industrial Policy which has got an unprecedented response from the industrial honchos in the country. He said Punjab would soon witness a massive revolution in industrial sector as scores of industrial giants were contemplating to setup their units here. He said that a delegation of TATA Group recently visited Punjab with a purpose to identify new investment avenues. Mr. Badal said that within months positive results in industrial sector would be before the state, which would shut the mouths of those Congress leaders, who were spreading misleading propaganda in this regard.
Meanwhile while reacting to a media query regarding allegations levelled by Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu, Mr. Badal said it was open fact that there was nothing to hide regarding the development projects and amounts released for them. He said various projects were in an advanced state of completion. He said during the last six years tenure of the SAD-BJP government maximum grants had been released to Amritsar for development works.When asked about demand of Mr. Sidhu for judicial probe on release of funds, Mr. Badal said departments, on about which the Member Parliament had objections were being handled by BJP ministers. “It is an internal issue of BJP. If Mr. Sidhu has any complaint and objection with Shiromani Akali Dal, he can sit with me any time, at either breakfast, lunch and dinner. I can also go to meet him in case he extends such an invitation".
On being asked about the facts being produced by PPCC President Mr. Partap Singh Bajwa on fiscal health of Punjab, the Deputy CM said it appeared as if the PCC chief did not understand the ABC of economics. He said Mr Bajwa should be more concerned about the financial mess at the centre instead of trying to concoct misleading economic details of Punjab. He said Punjab was in good fiscal health as it had only 30 percent debt ratio to GSDP which was 46% at the time of previous Congress regime. He Mr. Bajwa should know the same ratio was 68 percent under the present Congress led UPA government. When asked about the economic imbalance in the country, Mr. Badal said it was serious issue and that the people would ensure the exit of 'world renowned economist’ Dr. Manmohan Singh to ensure the country did not face complete ‘economic devastation’ in future.