Infrastructure our top priority: Sukhbir

Over 300 NRIs from various countries are participating in the three-day meet which would explore NRI investments in various sectors in the state, including the field of agri business and education. The matter of formulation of a comprehensive NRI investment policy would also be discussed.

Later, talking to mediapersons, Sukhbir said the government was concentrating on removing the bureaucratic bottlenecks and had delicenced many items to promote NRI investments in the country. 8220;The stress is on simplification of procedures related to setting up of various industries8221;.

He said Centre was already laying top priority on the development of infrastructure and had made a budgetary provision of Rs 35,000 crore against the head.

Admitting that the NRI investments in Punjab had not been encouraging despite the government8217;s efforts in the past about two years, Sukhbir said immediate results should not be expected. Sukhbir said the Punjab government was concentrating on improving the infrastructure and particularly the condition of roads in the state for better investment opportunities. He said the state government had planned to spend Rs 1,000 crore for the maintenance and laying of new roads.