Punjab gets industrial proposals worth over Rs 112,000 crore

Mohali (Punjab), Oct 28: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday said the state inked 376 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with investors that would invite investment of over Rs.112,000 crore at the two-day Progressive Punjab Investors Summit 2015 here.

In his keynote address at the inauguration of the summit, he said Punjab was the best state in the country from the investment point of view as it was credited with the best infrastructure facilities and excellent road, rail and air connectivity.

Welcoming the delegates from Poland, China, Hungary and South Korea and companies from the US, Britain, France, Italy and Singapore, Badal said he was not against providing central concessions to industries in the neighbouring states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

"Excluding Punjab despite its huge contribution towards the country's economic growth was not only unfair but also unjustifiable."

He said this was a major setback to Punjab's existing industry, with the investors going to those states to avail of the concessions.

Calling upon the industrialists to help the state in setting up skill centres, the chief minister said this initiative would be beneficial to provide a pool of skilled labour to the industry on the one hand and enable youngsters to earn their livelihood on the other.

He said the state has already initiated the process of establishing integrated multi-skill centres in varied fields of manufacture, healthcare, agriculture, allied farming activities and others to enable the unemployed youth to be gainfully employed.

IANS