LUDHIANA: Sukhbir Singh Badal President SAD has stated that the government had chalked out a comprehensive infrastructure Development  and modernization plan  to ensure the fast growth of industry in the state and claimed that within next three years, the state was going to witness a sea change in the field of development.

Badal was addressing the prominent industrialists at the special conference organized by the Industry Cell of SAD here today. 

Unfolding   the development agenda of SAD- BJP government,  Badal said that the government had identified its priorities including self sufficiency in Power Generation, excellent connectivity, Road Network and ROBs, Education and IT  sector development.

Badal said that the government had also accorded priority  to create the world class connectivity, under which, five Airports ( International/ Domestic)  would be made  operational in the state. He said that an International Airport was being commissioned with fast speed  at Mohali and  Shanewal  Airport in Ludhiana, was being upgraded to start domestic flights  from January next and  the process of land acquisition  had been started to set up another domestic Airport at Bathinda from where 2 flights daily would  operational.

On the education front,  Badal said that the state of Punjab was going to have  State of the Art, International Level education facilities shortly. He informed that a new world class  University  at a cost of approximately Rs 4000 crore  was being set up at Amritsar for this the sanction from Government of India had already been obtained. He said  the  many more educational institutions including Central University at Bathinda, IIT  at Ropar, IIM of Hydrabad status at Mohali and of Dhiru Bhai  Ambani Group IT Institute at Ropar were also  being set up shortly. 

Badal asserted that the government had revamped the tax collection system in the state which had given excellent results. He claimed that on the inception of government, the state was at number 24 in the country by collecting Rs 5100 crore under VAT and during the 1st year of his government, the VAT collection had recorded Rs 700 crore in crease surging to Number 12  in the country. He further added that during first four months of  the current year record increase Rs 800 crore in VAT revenue. He claimed  that  by the closing of current year, the state would touch Rs 1600 crore increase in VAT and would be number one state in the country in tax Collection. Mr. Badal further claimed that  by the end of 3rd year  of government, the revenue collection  would  touch  the figure of  Rs 10000 crore positively.

Badal appealing the industrialists to make further expansion in their industry in the state keeping in view the government plans of providing excellent infrastructure  and assured that the SAD- BJP government would always be open to redress their problems. He said that Chairmen of Industrial Boards  have been told to meet the industrialists at district level and prioritized  the needs and problems of the industrialists within a period of one month.

On this occasion,  Badal honored  20 prominent industrialists including  S P Oswal, Gursharan Singh GNA,  Onkar Singh Pahwa,  Deepak Dumra,  Kesho Ram Vij, Neeraj Dhanda, Mr. Jagdish Singal,  Inderjit Singh Pardhan,  A S Sachdeva  for  their excellent performance towards the industry of the state.