For investment,state may change industrial policy

He proposals to set up new industry would be cleared within 30 days through a single window system. “For strengthening Single Window Clearances for getting clearances from different departments,all technical support for the purpose will be given by the Punjab Infotech,” he added.

In case the clearances were not granted by the concerned department as per the time schedule set by the Punjab Industrial Facilitation Act,the Deemed Approvals would be granted by the Department of Industries and Commerce for getting the necessary facilities and concessions by the concerned industry within 30 days.

“The government has also started a process to look out for cheap lands available in different parts of state,including Pathankot and Bathinda district and Kandi areas,” he told reporters in his maiden press conference here after assuming charge as Industries Minister in the Parkash Singh Badal government last month.

“We are looking for pockets measuring 2,000 to 3,000 acres so that investors can set up industrial units,” he said.

He said that industrial cluster parks will be allowed to be set up by investors in these lands so that industrialists do not face any problem.

He said that the industry department had handed over Letter of Intents (LoI) to the tune of Rs 2,900 crore to the investors in the past about a month. “The government will earmark cheap lands and rest has to be done by investors,” he said adding that the government would act as a facilitator for investors.

He said that all General Managers,District Industries Centres (DICs) in the state will identify the land lying vacant for creation of ‘Land Bank’ so that it can be offered to the industrialists for setting up of the industry.

Holding that Punjab would be a power surplus state in the next 18 months,he said that the government will now reach out to investors as the incentives given to the industrialists in the neighbouring hill states to new industry have been stopped by the Centre.

The General Managers had been directed to hold meetings with investors at focal points to redress their grievances,he said adding that the government had kept Gujarat as the benchmark and do all possible to overtake that state on the industrial front.

It had been decided that an ‘Export Plan’ in coordination with the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) will be prepared by the Department of Industries and Commerce which will take care of various facilities like testing of export goods,warehousing,information regarding export and import from and to different countries.

He said that the focus of the government would be to set up more Cotton,IT and processing industry in the state.