Ferozepur, October 30, 2020: The Punjab Government has been making major efforts to set up new industries and promote industrialization in the state and in the last 3 years more than Rs. 65,000 crore has been invested in the State. The development projects are underway and shortly the production will start. This was stated by the Chief Secretary of Punjab, Vini Mahajan during a special interaction with the media at Ferozepur.
She said that in order to set up industries in the state, the government was providing electricity, land, subsidy and other facilities to the industrialists and by doing so the tendency of the industrialists to set up industries in the state has increased. She said that the Punjab government was also encouraging the industrialists to set up their industries in the border areas.
Speaking to media persons, Vini Mahajan said, the DCs are working on creating the land banks in rural areas to boost industrial development in the border towns like the power generating unit from stubble in Ferozepur.
Admitting about the economic crisis, she said, despite all this, our efforts are on, to cope with the circumstances especially when there is a shortage of coal now due to non-supply of coal with the on-going farmer’s agitation over three farm bills and at the same time, there is a need of power after the harvesting of paddy.
However, in Punjab, there are a lot of advantages like production is high, rail and road connectivity and overall infrastructures are better. The people of the state are dynamic and entrepreneur, she added.
She said, stubble burning is a complex issue which not only pollutes the environment; it has a direct effect on the health of an individual. The awareness of stubble management has increased. The progressive farmers are fully aware of high yield with the mixing of stubble with soil.
Saying that overnight changes are not possible, the stubble burning is less now and the Punjab government has made available the machinery for managing stubble on 80 percent subsidy for small and marginal farmers even on a rent-free basis.
In reply to the shortage of health staff, Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan said that the Punjab Government has almost completed the recruitment process of a large number of staff including 500 doctors, nurses, lab attendants and other staff to improve the health facilities. Letters of appointment will be handed over which will help in providing health facilities to the people in the state. She said that due to the agitation of farmers in Punjab, the movement of farmers was halted due to a shortage of coal which was hampering the power generation in the state. She also said that the government has taken up the matter with the Railway Minister.
On an increase in Dengue cases, she asked the media persons to create maximum awareness among the people to keep the surrounding and living areas.
With the normalization of the situation due to Corona, she said, the staff in DC office will be regularly attending to provide the various public services.
