3 mega industrial parks in the pipeline

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28

Three 1,000-acre mega industrial parks to cater to the specific needs of textile industry, pharmaceuticals and green industry will be developed in Punjab during 2020-2021.

Besides, a major modernisation at a cost of Rs 131 crore to woo industry are among the highlights of the Budget, presented on Friday.

Giving details, officials said besides the mega industrial parks, an integrated manufacturing cluster would be developed. An industrial park with special emphasis on the textile industry will be developed near Mattewara, Ludhiana. An industrial park with focus on green industry will be developed in Bathinda. Similarly, an integrated manufacturing cluster will be developed on the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor near Rajpura.

In addition, on the request of the panchayat of Wazirabad, Fatehgarh Sahib, an industrial park for the pharmaceutical industry will be set up on 125 acres. These parks will not only help industrialisation, but also give a strong push to the efforts of the government for planned development in the state.

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BOX

* Rs 131 crore for upgrading the infrastructure at Industrial Focal Points at Pathankot, Amritsar (New), Goindwal Sahib and Chanalon, Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Batala, Kotkapura, Nabha, Moga, Sangrur, Khanna and Derabassi at an estimated cost of Rs 131 crore.

* An increase of 16.92 per cent for industrial power consumption over 2016-2017. During 2020-2021, Rs 2,267 crore was provided as industrial power subsidy.

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Aim to make all urban local bodies ODF

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28

The Local Bodies Department targets to make all urban local bodies open defecation free (ODF) at a cost of Rs 103 crore allocated under the Swachh Bharat Mission for the fiscal year 2020-2021. At present, Bathinda, Patiala and Jalandhar have been declared open defecation free.

In the Budget, cities of Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar are being developed as smart cities under the Smart Cities Mission with the objective of providing core infrastructure and quality life to its citizens. Under the mission, Rs 810 crore has been allocated in 2020-21.

Besides, Rs 104 crore and Rs 76 crore have been allocated for million-plus cities of Ludhiana and Amritsar, respectively, for improving the quality of air, groundwater depletion and sanitation.

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Rejuvenation of Budha Nullah, Badi Nadi

The government will undertake rejuvenation of Budha Nullah in Ludhiana in a phased manner whereby in the first phase augmentation and refurbishment of sewage treatment facility shall be undertaken at a cost of Rs 650 crore. Also, rejuvenation of Badi and Chotti Nadi in Patiala, including area development along the banks, will be undertaken. An outlay of Rs 60 crore has been provided for the purpose in 2020-21.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana

The government to provide assistance for 1.5 lakh houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Housing for All (Urban) to address the housing requirement of urban poor, including, slum-dwellers. A provision of Rs 249 crore has been proposed for the programme this financial year.