Congress today said that the Punjab government is trying to "befool" people by presenting them with an "industrial mirage" and masking the 'deteriorating" industrial situation in the state.
Commenting upon the two-day 'Progressive Punjab Summit', State Congress President Partap Singh Bajwa said, "Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal lives in his own make- believe world and his only commitment is only to self. While thousands of industrial units in Punjab have closed down during this period, it is only the Badal family that has prospered".
Punjab urgently needs fresh investment in both farm and industrial sectors as the state is on the verge of collapse, but it is the sincerity of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son Deputy Chief Minister that are under a cloud going by the experience so far as the development of state has never been on their agenda, Bajwa said in a statement here.
Bajwa alleged that the state government is trying to befool people by making them believe in industrial mirage while masking the deteriorating situation that has resulted into the shutting down of several industrial units in the state during the present regime.
The irony of the matter is that once in a lifetime, Badal has spoken the truth on one of these occasions requesting the corporate honchos to sign the Memorandum of Commitment rather than signing the Memorandum of understanding, he said.
Bajwa urged Sukhbir to tell the people of Punjab what is the outcome of the previous Progressive Summit, Agriculture Summit and the NRI Summit.
"How much quantum of financial investment has come to Punjab from these so called high end investments summits or they are just the platforms for the Badals to expand their existing businesses," he said.
Existing Small Scale Industries and Medium Scale Industries in Punjab is on the verge of finish due to wrong industrial policies of the state government, he said.
He said the investment summit has been held at a time when the state is on the boil for more than a month, for which it is Sukhbir, who is directly responsible as he tried to manipulate the Sikh institutions for his political interest that backfired leading to the present "anarchy".
"The present situation was the anti-thesis of congenial climate for industrial investment," Bajwa said.
"This traditional industry has been dying in the absence of any incentive from the state government," he said.
He said that for some unexplained reasons, it seemed that Sukhbir was interested more in seeking fresh investment rather than protecting the existing ones.
