Chandigarh, January 17
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt. Amarinder Singh, today wrote to the Prime Minister seeking a special economic package for the state on the same pattern as available to Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and J and K.
This package envisages huge benefits and incentives in the shape of exemption from central excise duty, income tax and other interest and investment subsidies. As a consequence of this package being available in the neighbourhood, Punjab is threatened because its industry is under tremendous pressure to shift to the states where the Centre’s economic package is available.
Capt Amarinder Singh has reminded Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee of his earlier letter on the same issue, wherein a request was made to make the economic package available to at least the border districts of Gurdaspur, Amritsar and
Ferozepore. Now, the Chief Minister has requested that the same be made applicable to the entire state.
The letter justifies this demand and draws the attention of the Prime Minister to the phase of militancy and difficult times, 1978 to 1992, through which Punjab has had to pass. A large number of youth are today unemployed and pose the ‘’biggest challenge’’ to the state, as they become an easy target of hostile Pakistan propaganda. Though Punjab has normal situation and peace, but such youth continue to become easy targets of Pakistan propaganda.
Capt Amarinder Singh has said in his letter that he would be ‘’personally grateful’’, if the demand for economic package is treated as a ‘’national issue’’. Punjab’s population, explains the Chief Minister, is 2.43 crore and is growing at about 2 per cent, per annum, which adds 4.6 lakh children every year, who in due course of time join the employment pool. To compound this, the proportion of people above 60 years of age is also increasing. In Punjab, 85 per cent farmers own landholdings of less than five acres. Traditional agriculture activity cannot sustain Punjab’s population. It requires industrialisation for which the financial assistance from the Centre in the shape of economic package is imperative. Punjab, he assures the Prime Minister, will continue to contribute to the growth of income and prosperity of the state.
In this backdrop, the apprehension is that a lot of manufacturing industry will migrate due to better incentives in neighbouring states, particularly the ones in the high central bracket. This shift will adversely impact employment opportunities and income in Punjab. As such, problem of educated unemployed youth will get exacerbated, leading to similar consequences, as were prevailing between 1978 and 1992.
In fact, the Chief Minister had personally spoken to the Prime Minister on the economic package at the time of the meeting of the National Development Council, last month.
