Centre to promote agro-industry units in Punjab: Ashwani

Bathinda, Mar 18 (UNI) Union minister for Industries Ashwani Kumar today said the Centre would promote the agro-based industrial units in the agrarian state of Punjab.

The government has been initiating various plans to transform agriculture into value-added and commercial agriculture, the minister said, while talking to reporters here.

''Commercialisation of agriculture has been the need of the hour to safeguard it and making it profitable for the farmers.

The big industrial houses have been asked to set up food processing units in the state due to huge productivity of seasonal fruits in the state, he said.

On industrial growth and unemployment, the Union minister said the government hoped to increase the industrial growth from the present 8.1 per cent to above 10 per cent in the next five years, This, he claimed, would solve the unemployment problems of the country.

Regarding the power crisis in Punjab, he said the Centre had released a fund of Rs 160 crore for the completion of the second unit of Guru Hargobind Thermal plant at Lehra Mohhabbat and the completion of this unit would help in sorting out power crisis in the state.

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