KHEMKARAN: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday laid the foundation stone for a ₹137-crore rural link road project in the border constituency of Khemkaran and said the AAP government was focusing on strengthening infrastructure, employment opportunities and improved public services in border regions. He also highlighted progress in canal irrigation, employment generation and education reforms.
Addressing a massive gathering after laying the foundation stone, CM Bhagwant Mann stated, “From roads to schools to playgrounds and industry, I assure you that my government is committed to ensuring everything in this area. Successive governments ignored the development of border areas, but the AAP government has made dedicated efforts for their progress. We are committed to the welfare of the residents of these regions who are true patriots of the country.”
The Punjab CM said that for the first time in the history of Punjab, the industrial policy of the state provides incentives to industrialists willing to establish units in border areas. “Nine thrust sectors and borders as well as Kandi areas are being given 25 percent additional incentives. Border districts such as Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka have historically seen lower investment due to perceived geographical risks, ” he said.
Emphasising employment generation, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann added, “We want to place a tiffin in the hands of our youth by providing them employment so that they stay away from syringes and the menace of drugs. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, so we are making every effort to ensure that youth get jobs and do not fall prey to social evils. The AAP government has already provided more than 63, 000 government jobs to the youth.”