Centre keen on reviving Punjab's sick industries: Ashwani

Amritsar, Aug 30 (UNI) The union government has initiated a move to revive the sick industries of Punjab and also look for a possibility to grant incentives to the state on the pattern of industrial packages sanctioned for Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

Informing this here today, Union Minister of State for Industries Ashwani Kumar said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was seriously concerned about the industrial recession in Punjab and wanted to help the state in this regard.

''The Prime Minister has asked me to prepare a detailed report so that incentives be given to Punjab on the pattern of Himachal and Uttaranchal,'' Mr Kumar told reporters.

He said the Cenre was also keen on reviving the sick industrial units in the border districts. He said he would soon submit a detailed report to the prime minister on the sick industrial areas at Batala and Goindwal.

The Minister of State for Industries said that new areas were also being identified for investment, especially in the manufacturing sector.

Since the power shortage was one of the main reasons of the recession in industry in the state, the Centre had asked the Punjab government to soon start the second phase of the Shahpur Kandi and the third phase of the Mukerian hydel project.

The PM was expected to visit Punjab late next month, he added.

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