The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in keeping with its national plan, has constituted a Task Force in Punjab to devise a Vision Punjab 2022 document.
This is in fact, more important in the Punjab context, as the state has continued to remain low on most developmental indexes and has a GDP growth rate much below the India average. This coupled with lagging industrial and agricultural growth, has begun to cause much concern.
It is worth noting that the state’s economy grew at an annual average rate of 5.08 per cent during the Tenth Five Year(2002-07) against the target of 6.4 per cent fixed by the Planning Commission, whereas the annual economy grew at an average rate of 7.77 per cent during the same period.
Further the planning commission has indicated a target of 5.90 per cent economic growth for the state during Eleventh Five Year Plan(2007-12) as against 9 per cent projected growth target for the national economy.
Also, the decline in the collections of central excise in Punjab from Rs 2,786 crore in 2003-04 to Rs 867 crore in 2006-07 is a poignant tale of the decline of the state’s industry in recent times.
Gunbir Singh, vice-chairman CII, Punjab, has been asked to head the Task Force, and shall be assisted as co-chaired by Dr S S Sandhu, director, Amritsar-based Khanna Paper Ltd. The members of this task force shall be from various walks of life like, concerned intellectuals, industrialists, NGO's, traders, cultural stalwarts and young indians.
While speaking to Business Standard, Singh said, “Workshops to evince the aspirations of Punjabis shall be held in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Firozpur, Bhatinda, Amritsar, Mohali, Patiala. The collaboration of educational institutes, opinion leaders, senior bureaucrats and visionary politicians shall be sought in an effort perhaps unparalleled ever before in the state.”
Singh informed that he had already discussed the program with the vice chancellors of Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and the Punjabi University, Patilila. Also the Punjab Technical University(Jalandhar), various schools, colleges and institutions have pledged suport to the cause.
Further, BimTech (Birla Institute of Management & technology) has been appointed as the facilitator for the programme.
At the national level the advisors shall be Boston Consulting Group. The collated views and aspirations shall work towards the Vision Punjab 2022 document which shall also contain a roadmap to achieve these goals.
Singh, being chairman of the task force, impressed upon the need for this to be an inclusive programme, in which Punjabi's from all walks of life, in India or overseas may give vent to their imagination for a progressive Punjab.
He stated that it is the people who have the right to demand the best for today, and an even better tomorrow for their children. To do so they must aim for setting individual goals for themselves, elect suitable leaders.
