AAP govt to come up with new industrial policy soon: Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the state government would soon come up with a new industrial policy that would fast-track the clearance of projects and put the state on the path of rapid growth.

He also urged business leaders to involve themselves in the formulation process so that the state government could introduce an “exceptional” policy this time by elimination flaws in the programme prepared in 2022.

“We are providing you a responsibility to involve each and every sector in the formulation of the policy, which will be exceptional. An out-of-box thinking is a must for it. You all sit together and come forward with your valuable suggestions and we will serve you in a better way,” said Kejriwal during a meet with industrialists here.

Kejriwal said he knew that files kept piling up in offices, but from now onwards, every new project would get the clearance within 45 days.

‘Drug problem to destroy industry if not checked’

He also said the drug problem would destroy the industry if not kept in check.

“The deterioration in law and order is due to this drug menace, which started in the period of previous governments,” he said.

Kejriwal said though the industrial meet wasn’t the place to discuss the issue, there was a need to highlight how his party’s government was struggling hard to control it.

“The drug addiction is responsible for the rise in crime in Punjab due to which the industry is suffering and industrialists are getting extortion calls,” he added.

Kejriwal said 5,000 home guards would be sent to border areas to combat the menace. “We are fighting against gangsters. The extortion calls have seen a decline. We will provide all safety to you but one needs to come forward to seek help,” said Kejriwal.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann too said AAP was “a party with a mission and not of commission”.

“This is our nervous 90s period as is there in the game of cricket when a cricketer reaches close to his century. If you want a century from us in 2027, you have to push us. We are here to perform,” he said.

“We are common people. Prestigious positions are given by you all. We need to work. If we don’t perform right now, we would get brick-bats from our future generations,” Mann said adding that our lone mission is to serve for the people of Punjab.

Earlier in the day, both Mann and Kejriwal addressed a rally at Jawahar Nagar Camp, a part of the Ludhiana (West) Assembly segment.

They were accompanied by Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora, who has been declared the party’s candidate for the bypoll to the constituency.

Meanwhile, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring dared Kejriwal and Mann to tell people of Punjab what they had done so far for the state.

Can’t keep repeating old promises: Warring

“You just can't keep on repeating old promises and cheat people once again,”Warring said while reacting to the AAP rally.

Warring said AAP had been in power in Punjab for three years, the period it wasted and still “parroting old promises”.

He said both AAP leaders remembered industrialists only due to the upcoming bypoll while they forgot them after winning the Assembly poll in 2022.