Punjab plans separate authority for industrial focal points

Industries and Power Minister Shri. Sanjeev Arora said that the Punjab Government is going to form a separate authority for the maintenance of all Industrial focal points, which will solve all the problems of the industralists. He said that currently, we have floated tenders worth Rs 100 crore to upgrade the focal points, with which sewerage, CCTV cameras, lights, roads and other arrangements.Arora said that for the convenience of industrialists, we are going to made exhibition centers in Mohali, Amritsar and Ludhiana at the earliest.

Cabinet Minister Shri Sanjeev Arora said that for the development of industry in Punjab, “Rising Punjab - From Suggestions to Solutions”events are being organized in all major cities, which has been started from Amritsar today. He said that we are taking new initiatives for the industrialists and coming up with new plans. Talking about the achievements made so far, he added that an investment of Rs. 1 lakh 14 thousand crores crore has been made in Punjab so far, which has provided employment to four and a half lakh people. He said that we have resolved 42-year-old issues with the One Time Settlement Scheme, which has greatly benefited the plot holders. He said that we are giving ownership rights of the leasehold plot holders so that they can easily carry out their financial transactions.

He said that all approvals for setting up industries in Punjab will be done within 45 days and these approvals will start from the third to fourth day. He said that for this, there is no need to visit any office, you just have to apply on a portal. He said that our officers are resolving most of the issues of the industrialists over the phone and none of the industrialists feel the need to visit any office. He said that to take the industry to the top, we have formed 24 committees of different sectors, in which no member is a politician, but all the members are related to that industry.

The Cabinet Minister said that we are going to hold a Punjab Investment Summit in Mohali on March 13 and 14, in which we will invite all our industrialists, traders, NRI brothers and foreign companies, so that they can invest in Punjab. He also informed that the earlier approval limit for Right to Business, which was up to Rs 25 crore, has been increased to Rs 125 crore and it is being ensured that these approvals may be given within five to 15 days. He highlighted that our effort is to ensure that the tax paid by the industrialists is levied only on their focal points, their industrial parks, and for this we are going to form a special authority.

He revealed that last year we had given incentives worth Rs. 90 crore to the industrialists and now we have distributed Rs. 222 crore in just five months. He also said that we will never take bank guarantees from the industrialists in future. Sanjeev Arora today also visited the focal points of Amritsar along with the officials and instructed the officials to resolve all these problems at the earliest. On this occasion, MLA Mrs. Jeevanjot Kaur, Mrs. Saurabhi Malik Managing Director, Mr. Rahul Chaba Additional CEO Invest Punjab, Mr. Jaskaran Badesha Incharge Lok Sabha, Urban President Mr. Prabhbir Brar and other dignitaries were also present.