Single window clearance aiding investments: Sidhu

Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday said that the single window clearance mechanism being provided by the State Government is facilitating investments, particularly in sectors like services, manufacturing, small scale industries, defence and tourism, to create more jobs.

The State Local Government, Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister, speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the regional office of industry body ASSOCHAM at Mohali, said that the Government is ready to facilitate ASSOCHAM and others who want to invest in Punjab. 

“We must use land banks as equity for public private partnerships (PPP),” he said. 

Sidhu batted for streamlining the single window system so as to facilitate the setting up of industrial infrastructure and mentioned Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka where various incentives and facilities to accelerate industrial growth have been provided.

He said that Punjab needs to be more attractive to investors and provide ease of doing business. “Once the ease of doing business happens, automatically the achievement will come,” he added. 

Sidhu stressed that the State Government, under the visionary leadership of the Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, considers it an article of faith to make Punjab stand tall among the highly industrialised States of the country and for that to happen, the faith of the investors need to be restored regarding which the Government is sparing no effort.

Outlining his vision for putting State’s economy on firm footing, Sidhu said that the Punjab Government is ready to facilitate ASSOCHAM for the growth of the state on all development centric parameters. “Additional sources of income need to be generated to propel Punjab into the top league and the ASSOCHAM could prove to be a vital link in this,” he said.

He said that Gurgaon, which was an isolated place from industrial development point of view a few decades ago, has now become the industrial propeller and “I see no reason why Punjab cannot occupy the same place of pride”.

Speaking on the occasion, ASSOCHAM president Sandeep Jajodia said: “We believe that Punjab not only hosts vibrant MSME clusters for textile and garments, bicycle parts, sports and engineering products, but is also a nursery of entrepreneurs, reflecting a true Punjabi spirit”.