Centre ignored Punjab in industrial corridor map: Navjot Sidhu

Accusing the Union Government of 'deliberately' ignoring Punjab while finalising the map of proposed industrial corridor, BJP MP from Amritsar, Navjot Sidhu today said he would take up the issue in Parliament.

"While states like Delhi, UP, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP and even Haryana were taken into the route of Industrial Corridor, Punjab was deliberately ignored," Sidhu told reporters alleging that it was a case of sheer discrimination by the Centre.

"The Centre should stop playing politics with Punjab," Sidhu said adding that he would take up the issue in Parliament and ask the concerned minister for his reply.

Sidhu said if Punjab is ignored in the corridor, the industrial growth of the state would not only deteriorate but may also stop.

Discrimination could be gauged from the fact that even
such areas in Haryana were included in the corridor where there was no potential at all, Sidhu alleged, while appealing to all political parties in Punjab to fight strongly for their rights.

India and Japan recently inked an agreement to set up a Project Development Fund Industrial Corridor, which would include six mega investment regions of 200 sq kms each through seven states -- Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and MP.

The goals of the corridor includes doubling employment opportunities, tripling industrial output and raising export to more than four times in the next five years.