Industrialists hail Punjab government for fostering an environment conducive to investors and industry

Patiala, March 11:

Commending the Punjab government for fostering an environment conducive to investors and industry, the industrialists at Patiala on Monday said that the “Sarkar Vyapar Milni” initiative proves to be a boon for them, facilitating direct connection with the government and promoting Punjab as the preferred destination.

Expressing satisfaction with the performance of the Punjab government, Debnath Guha from Hindustan Unilever Limited said that they are delighted to participate in this event. He said that the Punjab government had conducted a high-level meeting with all stakeholders regarding tomato paste. He urged the government to procure high-quality tomatoes from Punjab. He said that his Kisan Ketchup Factory is located in Nabha, which requires 10,000 tonnes of tomatoes annually, with the majority currently sourced from Nashik, Maharashtra.

Chandradeep Nasra from Tripri Market in Patiala thanked the Punjab government’s initiatives and various government services those are now accessible online from home. He said that previously, people had to endure long queues for every task and there were rampant corruption in the system.

Satinder Saini from the Arhtiya Association in Anaj Mandi, Patiala, expressed his appreciation for the Mann government, contrasting it with previous governments. He said the difficulty he faced in trying to meet the Chief Minister and other ministers in the past but praised the Punjab government for its accessibility. “The Chief Minister is now sitting among us,” he said. Referring to the significant reforms in crop procurement arrangements at the grain markets, he said that there are no longer issues with lifting produce, payments are arriving promptly in landlords’ accounts, arhat wages are being received, and the shortage of gunny bags has been resolved.

Sikander Veer Jindal from the Bhatta association said that the Mann government has fulfilled its promises. He mentioned that Bhagwant Singh Mann had pledged that his government would lead from the front, and indeed, now government services are reaching people’s doorsteps, eliminating the need for citizens to visit government offices, which is commendable. Jindal also highlighted a positive change in policy: that previously, only up to two acres of land were permitted for brick-making, but the current government has raised the limit to five acres, a move that will greatly benefit the kiln industry. Jindal emphasized the need to reduce the 12% GST levied on certain goods, suggesting that a reduction would be beneficial.

Gurdeep Singh Walia from the Hotel Association expressed concern about the heavy traffic passing through the focal point and road accidents occurring, particularly due to the villages situated on the Patiala Sirhind Road being connected to Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Chuni, and Landran. He urged for a suitable solution to address this issue.

Ashwani Garg from the Patiala Industrial Estate Welfare Society praised the government for making on-the-spot decisions to address demands and requested the construction of a power supply grid.

Harminder Singh Khurana from the Patiala Chamber of Industry said that out of the four parks in the Focal Point area, only two have been completed since its establishment in 1990. He highlighted the need for street lights to prevent untoward incidents, especially considering the factories operating 24 hours a day. Additionally, he called for a redesign of the focal point’s entry due to heavy traffic congestion