CM exhorts industry to invest in state

The Vardhman group has invested in Punjab after a long time and before this the expansion was done in Himachal and Madhya Pradesh.

The CM said,“Good times have come back again,and Vardhman has set an example for others.”

Another US company is already having a joint venture with Vardhman in a sewing machine unit.

However,when Newsline asked the CM whether the state government was taking steps for a congenial environment of the industry so that foreign collaborations can take place,he said,”I am hopeful more such ventures will take place in the near future.”

Badal said,“The industry in Punjab earlier suffered due to militancy and later tax holiday plans of the neighbouring states.”

He stated that if Punjab needed to progress,the growth of industry is a must for the agriculture sector. However,he was not confident enough whether the state will be able to give electricity to the industry if it expands because the power plants plans are still in pipeline only.

Meanwhile,the joint venture group will be giving employment to 600 people and the project has come up in focal point phase 8 under mega housing project under 50:50 partnership.

‘Women workers more committed’
Ludhiana: “ Women workers are more committed to work. They yield better output in less time. Men waste time in chatting and even in canteen. Moreover,in textile industry women workers are the best suited because nature has given them better skills for finger movements. So,industry must utilise this potential of our rural and urban women so as to make them self reliant,” said S P Oswal,Chairman,Vardhman Group. “I am impressed to see that 75% of the workforce of Vardhman group in Punjab is of the rural women. I often go to various educational institutions in the prize distribution functions and I observe that 80 per cent of awards are bagged by girls. I often tell boys,the way things are going boys will have to cook food at home while women will be leading in offices,” Badal said. Before laying the foundation stone of the joint venture company,the CM also inaugurated the women hostel of the company where girls from more than 100 villages of Punjab are living and they are working in various units of the company. Of 4,000 work force,3,000 are women.