Better agriculture-industry links urged

He said that there is scope to set up different types of industries to meet the requirement of the people of Punjab. By involving the people from outside Punjab, we can accelerate the pace of industrialisation in Punjab.

Langah stressed that the industrial investment of Punjab is only Rs 1,400 crore so there is urgent need to forge more links between agriculture and industry.

The minister laid emphasis on the value system and hoped that students would pay equal attention to the moral aspects of life. He also listed various projects undertaken by the Punjab government.

J. S. Puar, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, in his presidential address, said that industry should cater to the needs of society by creating large-scale employment opportunities. Practical training must be made a compulsory part of vocational courses, he said.

D. S. Guru, director, Industries, Punjab, said that industries in the state must be reoriented. He said Punjab has many plus points as compared to other states, for instance, the best infrastructure. He highlighted the steps that the Industries Department is taking to develop industrialisation in Punjab.

He said the establishment of Udyog Sahayak is a major step to speedily clear up the formalities required to set up an industry. Guru discussed the various problems that industries in Punjab are facing.

S. S. Brar, managing director, Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation (PSIDC), said that Punjab has basically been an agrarian state, but with the advent of the green revolution, small scale industries emerged. This showed a diversification trend in Punjab.

He said that Punjab ranked 14 in industrial development. He applauded Punjabi entrepreneurship for its great role in the industrial development of Punjab.

Brar said that during the last two years PSIDC has been able to attract big industrial units like Gujrat Ambuja, Vikram Cement, ICICI Paints, ACC, etc. He said that the establishment of an oil refinery, a petro-chemical complex and a fertilizer plant will have a multiplier effect on the industrial as well as on the overall development of the state. This will open new vistas to set up different types of units and will have many far-reaching effects.

The Punjab government has set up a machine-tools industry, a UNDP project to upgrade the hand tool industry, he said. With the Bhatanda-Kandla direct rail link, transportation would be more convenient. The establishment of a dry port in Bhatinda was likely to create a multiplier effect.

Capt Narinder Singh, Managing director, Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC), said that Punjab provides a congenial environment for the development of industry. He highlighted the role of PSIEC in providing infrastructure to promote and develop industry.

B. S. Bhatia, Dean, Academic Affairs, said that the provision of employment, overall growth of the state economy and improvement in the quality of life should be the most important objectives of industrialisation. He also stressed the need for information technology.

Earlier, Puar presented a set of university publications to Langah and others.

The minister and other bureaucrats also answered the students questions during the seminar. U. C. Singh, professor of the Department of Business Management, presented a vote of thanks.