CHANDIGARH: Offering partnerships in a wide range of fields to the delegation from Singapore, the Punjab Governor and Administrator, UT, Gen. (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues, PVSM VSM, said that the Chandigarh Administration has established a responsive, transparent and corruption free governance supported with implementation and monitoring systems with the focus on an investment friendly environment in different fields of endeavour.

He said that we have totally refined our procedures & processes and streamlined administrative functioning with no bureaucratic hurdles with the focus on long term planning and participative endeavour of our people to meet the future needs.

During the interaction with Senior Minister, Goh Chok Tong and members of the delegation, General Rodrigues strongly advocated the need for major initiatives to give a boost to collaboration in different areas like Information Technology, Health, Education and Agriculture, which can be of immense mutual benefit to both sides. 

He told the delegation that Chandigarh caters to the needs of 60 million people of the region and we have created an efficient support, structure to ensure quality of life.

He said that this region is moving ahead in different sectors of economic growth and development and that a World class IT park is at advanced stage of completion, which will empower our youth and provide job opportunities to about 60,000 professionals and unskilled workforce. 

He said that an Education City is coming up and the education programmes have been selected with the focus on professionalism and on inculcating values and ethics, among our students.

He further said that a Film City, theme park, Amusement Park, World Class Aquarium etc. are also coming up marking the beginning of a new era of development and prosperity and that are also exploring the possibility of generating power from solar and wind energy and also paddy and wheat straw in collaboration, with Punjab Government.

With a view to step up connectivity, General Rodrigues told the delegation that the upgradation of Chandigarh Airport to the International standards has already been approved and work on the expanded Terminal Complex has been started.

More flights have been added in the last 2-3 years. He has already talked to the Union Railway Minister to start a super fast train service between Delhi and  Amritsar via Chandigarh and that we have initiated the process for introducing a mass rapid transport system, in the City and satellite towns, in collaboration with adjoining States.

General Rodrigues further said that Punjab has an agrarian economy, with a major part of rural population having small land holdings and need a good supportive infrastructure and marketing facilities for their produce. 

He also said that we are setting up a Terminal Market in the City, which will serve the farming community of the whole region, for the export of their produce to other countries, thus making agriculture more profitable.

During the discussion, the Senior Minister, Singapore and other members of the delegation appreciated the vision, involvement and commitment of the Administration in development oriented ventures and stressed the need for stepping up dialogue and interaction with the concerned authorities in regard to opportunities of investment and trade available in the region.