Aujla meets FM, seeks special package for border district

Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla has sought a special financial package for the border district with the objective of reviving economic activity and trade.

He submitted a letter demanding a package to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi on Tuesday.

The letter stated that Attari, Ajnala, Ramdas and adjoining border villages have been facing economic challenges for a long time. The closure of cross-border trade between India and Pakistan particularly affected transporters, clearing agents, labourers, traders, warehouses and thousands of families directly or indirectly dependent on border trade.

He said industrial investment and employment opportunities in the holy city also remain inadequate, resulting in industries and investments moving towards neighbouring states. The shortage of employment opportunities in the border region created serious concerns for the local youth.

He apprised the Union Finance Minister that some border areas, especially from where the Ravi river flows, have repeatedly faced floods. Flooding leads to significant damage to roads, agriculture and public infrastructure. He stressed the need for a dedicated development plan for border areas.

He said that the holy city is considered one of the country’s major international tourism destinations because of the Golden Temple and the Attari-Wagah border, but despite its strategic and economic importance, the border did not receive development on the scale it deserves.

He urged the Union Government to approve a special financial package for industrial revival, MSME development, employment, skill development and entrepreneurship opportunities for local youth.