Bhagwant Mann seeks NITI Aayog aid to boost Punjab development

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here today presented a strong case of the state before a team of the NITI Aayog, soliciting its support to ensure the comprehensive development of the state and safeguarding its interests.

Advertisement

During deliberations with a team led by, Member, Niti Aayog, Ramesh Chand, and Programme Director Sanjeet Singh, the CM said the state shared 553 km of International Border (IB) with Pakistan, having six border districts in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Ferozepur and Fazilka. However, Mann bemoaned that special incentives to Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir by the Central government had adversely impacted the economy of the border districts in Punjab.

Seeking a special incentive package for these districts, he batted for the establishment of agro-food processing zones in each border district of Punjab with special focus on the basmati rice industry and horticultural produce like litchi etc. He also advocated the upgradation of the existing focal points in border districts and establishment of an exhibition-cum-convention centre in Amritsar.

He underscored the need for the upward revision of the compensation to farmers having land between the IB and border fence, asserting that more than 17,000 acres fell between them. The CM said the present compensation was given to the farmers at the rate of Rs 10,000 per acre per year which should be enhanced to Rs 30,000 per acre annually, adding that instead of sharing between the Centre and state, this should be totally paid by the Centre.

Mann also sought Rs 2,829 crore for the upgrade of the infrastructure and equipment, including jammers, to check the smuggling of weapons and drugs through drones. He also batted for the revision of the Vibrant Village Programme launched by the Union government to benefit more border villages of the state. He said Punjab’s border districts were heavily populated compared to other states, with 1,500 villages within 10 km of the border due to which only 101 villages were selected under the scheme. He further said that recent skirmishes with Pakistan had highlighted the need for making border districts war resilient due to which bunkers and air shelters should be constructed for city population, alternative connecting routes to border villages. Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) should be set up along with the state-of-the art response command and Control Centre in each district, sensors for street-lights, trauma centres in border cities should be equipped with secondary and tertiary care.

Raising the issues of the industrial sector, the CM highlighted the key initiatives taken by the state government in terms of Fast Track Punjab Portal, Time Bound Service Delivery, Right to Business Act, Integration of Green Stamp Paper and others to attract investment. He said the current share of the manufacturing sector in the state's economy was 14.4%, but the state government intended to escalate it to 20% by year 2030 and 25% by 2047. For this CM Mann had sought freight subsidy for Punjab, being a landlocked state and the introduction of a scheme on lines of the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme for small manufacturers so that they could send their goods within the country.

He also demanded a special economic package for the state comprising Rs 2,000 crore for Special Economic Zone, development of industrial corridors (Global Manufacturing Hub) along the Bharat Mala project, extension of Semi Conductor Lab (SCL) in Mohali, expansion of Software Technology Parks (STPs) in Mohali and development of dedicated Sector-Specific Export Zones in Punjab, including Amritsar for food processing, Ludhiana for textiles and Mohali for automobile parks.

He reiterated that Punjab had no surplus water for any state. Raising the issue of “biased” approach of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Mann bemoaned that the BBMB had been repeatedly playing a partisan role. He further said of late, it had been indulging in taking administrative actions which appeared to be “biased” and against the interests of Punjab, adding that the officers of Punjab in the BBMB were being marginalised and ignored.