Punjab regaining lost glory: Parkash Singh Badal

CHANDIGARH: For a state that has been denied the tax sops given to its neighbours and had to deal with a lengthy period of militancy, Punjab's entrepreneurs have done exceptionally well to forget the bad times and inject new energy in the economy, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said after giving away Times Group's 'Achievers of the North' awards at an event on Friday.

"I'm thankful to the Times Group for organizing such an event to honour people who excel in varied fields like education, hospitality and business," Badal told a gathering of top businessmen from the region. "Punjab used to be at the top in industry in the country. We lost business and trade during the period of militancy. The most crucial blow, however, was neighbouring states being given concessions to set up industry."

The CM said he held no grudge against Punjab's neighbours but said the state too should be given the same concessions. "Even now we've some difficulties, but Punjabis have started regaining their pride," he said. "In spite of all the setbacks, Punjabis have started coming up again in business and industry through sheer effort."

Talking about the changes that have attracted industry again, Badal said the state had been able to overcome shortages in power. "Also, we recently organized the Progressive Punjab Summit, where veterans from across the country and abroad converged and asked both the industry and government to invest in the state," he said.

Badal said while single-window clearance was common in all states, Punjab had gone a step ahead to introduce 'single-person clearance', where one person is appointed to ensure clearances for investors.

Since the event honoured educationists too, Badal made a mention of the state being home to 10 universities now, against three earlier. "We've India's largest IT park in Mohali," he said. "Besides, ITC has made investments in a mega projects with its plans to develop a food park. Soon, we'll have an IIM too."

The CM also talked about the state declaring a war against drugs and cancer. "Our upcoming cancer hospital will be the second best after Bombay," Badal said. "Drugs de-addiction and rehabilitation centres are also our top priority."