Give me three months to deliver: Arora
Tribune News Service
Ludhiana, May 10
Industry and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora has asked the local industrialists to give him just three months’ time to come up with good results for the industry.
Addressing the industrialists in the city on Thursday, he said the state government was committed to its stand of uplifting the industry, but he needed some more time as he had joined office recently.
On his maiden visit to the city, Malhotra gave a major respite to the industrialists by announcing that there will be monthly meetings by the Deputy Commissioner and their grievances would be thoroughly heard. After every three months, he himself (minister) will review everything. There had been no regular meetings of industrialists and government functionaries for a long time.
On being asked about controversy on providing power at the rate of Rs 5 to the industry, the minister said big houses were getting power at Rs 5 per unit itself while small and medium units were not able to get the benefits properly. “But we are considering them too and hope they are also provided relief,” he said.
Arora said the state was set to get an investment of Rs 60,000 crore due to the new industrial policy prepared by the government, led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. He said the single window system for industrialists was also being launched in each deputy commissioner’s office, so they do not face harassment while making investments.
Upkar Singh Ahuja and Pankaj Sharma, president and general secretary, CICU, discussed with the minister various issues which included establishing a common exhibition centre for the local industry, poor air connectivity in Punjab, strengthening the local airport, strengthening R&D centres, funding for upgrade of infrastructure at Focal Point, construction of multi-storied buildings for industry, improved infrastructure and wide roads, transfer of jurisdiction and administrative control of Phase I to III of Focal Point from GLADA to PSIEC.
21 MoUs worth Rs 1,336 crore signed
During his visit to the city, about 21 MoUs were signed with companies in the presence of Industry and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora. These industrial groups include Happy Forgings Pvt Ltd (Rs 400 crore), Ludhiana Beverages Pvt Ltd (Rs 220 crore), Million Exports (Rs 200 crore), Pact Industries Ltd (Rs 170 crore), Eastman International (Rs 90 crore), Bonn Group of Industries (Rs 50 crore), KG Exports (Rs 21 crore), Sharu Steel (Rs 10 crore), Ramaya Balaji Alloys Pvt Ltd (Rs 6 crore), KNL Drive Line Pvt Ltd (Rs 10 crore), Trishala Alloys Pvt Ltd (Rs 5.92 crore), Jagraon Concast Pvt Ltd (Rs 2.5 crore), Skyway Forge (Rs 4 crore), Panama Alloys (Rs 5 crore), Seth International Corp (Rs 22 crore), Bawa Knit Fab Pvt Ltd (Rs 50 crore), New Swan Group of Industries (Rs 30 crore), KHK Alloys Pvt Ltd (Rs 2.5 crore), Renny Strips Pvt Ltd (Rs 25 crore), Sardar Associates (Rs 2.5 crore) and SRV Steels (Rs 7.5 crore).
The minister met prominent industrialists, including SP Oswal from Vardhman Group, Onkar Singh Pahwa of Avon Cycles, Janpath Estate’s Mohinder Goyal, Harpreet Singh of Pact Industries and Rakesh Gupta from Eastman.
Industrialists submit memorandum
Many industrialists submitted a memorandum to the minister, asking him to solve the problems faced by the local industry. President of the Chamber of Industrial and Trading Entrepreneurs Kulwant Singh said VAT and GST refunds should not be delayed any more. He also demanded that subsidy of Rs 48 crore should be given to small power consumers.
