Bajwa thanks PM for clearing Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial corridor

Saturday, 08/06/2013

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/news/bajwa-thanks-pm-for-clearing-amritsar-kolkata-industrial-corridor/80725#

CHANDIGARH: Partap Singh Bajwa President Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today welcomed the clearance of Amritsar-Delhi-Kolkata Industrial corridor and thanked the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh for showing such a kind gesture towards Punjab and bringing the border state on national industrial map.

In a press statement issued here Bajwa said that the decision to extend the industrial corridor up to Amritsar would be a boon for industry in Punjab and it will boost the economy of state particularly the border areas. He said that present SAD-BJP government had messed up with the industry and economy of the state.

He said that people of Punjab would remain indebted to the Prime Minister since the completion of Industrial corridor will restore the old glory of holy city of Amritsar. He said that Amritsar was a major business hub before the partition but it lost its shine being a border city. Dr.Manmohan Singh has an emotional bond with Amritsar, the city of Golden Temple. The industrial corridor would also give fillip to cross border trade between India and Pakistan, he added.

 PPCC President said that the proposed Industrial corridor will pass through all the three regions of Malwa, Doaba and Majha and it will prove boon for the existing industry. He said that corridor would link Punjab districts of Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Amritsar the sea port at Kolkata and open doors to set up new industrial and manufacturing zones along the corridor. This will attract huge investment and also generate new resources of employment for lakhs of unemployed youth of Punjab.  He said that beside industrial growth, the corridor will revive the real estate sector in Punjab.

Bajwa said that he along with PPCC office bearers, Congress MPs and MLAs will shortly go to express gratitude to the Prime Minister for such a big favour to border state. He hoped that with the completion of corridor the International Airport at Amritsar would also see beginning of flights on new routes. He said that he would request the Prime Minister to start more daily domestic and international flights from Amritsar to make the best of opportunities created By Amritsar-Kolkata industrial corridor.

Bajwa said that Punjab Congress was since long persuading with the Centre government to bring Amritsar on national industrial map. He said that Prime Minister had last year extended the Mumbai-Delhi Dedicated Freight Corridor up to Ludhiana and now with building industrial corridor between West Bengal and Punjab would usher new era of development across the state.

Bajwa said that SAD-BJP government in Punjab was not sincere for the development of state and in the past blocked many central projects by creating hurdles in acquisition of land. He said that he had requested the Union Railway Ministry to provide rail link to two historical towns of Quadian the head quarter of Ahmadiya Muslims and Beas the headquarter of Radha Swami sect in Amritsar district. He said that project remained incomplete because state government failed to start land acquisition proceedings.

He said that rail coach factory which the former Union Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal wanted to set up in Punjab was ultimately shifted to Sonepat in Haryana due to lack of interest shown by SAD-BJP government. He said that similarly the central university which was allotted to Amritsar was shifted from there because SAD-BJP government refused to give land already acquired by it.

He said that border district had remained neglected due to step motherly treatment given by SAD-BJP government. He said that people in other regions of Punjab couldn’t expect better deal from Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who failed to show development in his own bastion in Malwa. He said that expect for his native village of Badal, there is no development in the countryside.

Bajwa asked Badal to express gratitude to the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and acknowledge his (PM’s) contribution for future of Punjab. He also asked Mr.Badal to bring a comprehensive industrial policy to prevent migration of existing industry from Punjab to other states. He said that the industrial policy recently announced by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal was reflection of his whims and fancies and not a working model.