CHANDIGARH, Aug 9 — Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday unveiled 24 sector-wise industrial advisory committees, a move aimed at positioning the state as a hub for industry and commerce.
The committees, earlier announced by Industry and Commerce Minister Sanjeev Arora, will focus on sector-specific strategies to drive investment and growth. “These committees will study best practices from other states and replicate them in Punjab to boost industrial growth,” Kejriwal said at the launch.
He alleged that before 2022, Punjab’s industrial climate was marred by political interference. “Industrialists were coerced by political leaders to give up stakes in their businesses. As a result, industries fled Punjab, and the state was pushed into a crisis, particularly with the drug menace,” Kejriwal claimed.
Mann said the initiative stemmed from government-industry consultations held in September 2023. “The idea of these 24 sector-specific committees was born out of those interactions,” he said, adding that the panels will draft detailed growth strategies tailored to each industrial domain.
Since March 2022, Punjab has received investment proposals worth ₹1.14 lakh crore, creating more than 4.5 lakh jobs, Mann said. “Punjab has become a preferred destination for global investors, with countries such as Japan, the USA, Germany, the UK, Dubai, South Korea, Singapore, and Spain showing keen interest in the state,” he added.
