Industry leaders expressed concern over “decay” of Punjab cities at an interaction organised in New Delhi by the state government and FICCI on ‘Punjab Industrial Review’ drafted by UNIDO lead consultant Dr Isher Judge Ahluwalia.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister TKA Nair and FICCI vice-president Rajan Bharti Mittal said tourism and healthcare services could not be attracted to Punjab because of the filth in its cities, which were also decaying.

Nair said it was for the industry leaders to help the political leadership understand the need for decentralised decision making, so that policy decisions to revive industry in Punjab were speedily implemented. “Public-private partnership (PPP) in all sectors of the economy is the prime need and so is diversification from the wheat-paddy cycle,” Nair added.

Industry leaders underlined the need for PPP in the building of roads and airports, focus on food processing sector, crop diversification, backward linkages with farmers, vocational industrial training, reforms in governance, strengthening of delivery mechanisms, reduction in transport costs, abolition of mandi tax and accent on health and education sectors.

The meet observed that a policy regime of incentives and disincentives to facilitate the diversification of agriculture in Punjab, motivation of bureaucracy, systematic government moves, social and education sectors were the need of the hour if Punjab was to regain its place of pride in the country.

Punjab Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh said the state government had constituted a group, headed by him and secretaries of all the departments, to chalk out a comprehensive industrial strategy. “Over Rs 2,500-crore investment is in the pipeline to strengthen roads, bridges, hotels and other physical infrastructure,” the Chief Secretary said. Even as Punjab is trying to woo the industry, the global meltdown has seriously impacted exports of textiles, hand tools, garments, hosiery and steel products from the state, he said, adding that the government has decided to constitute a group to address the problems of these sectors.