Punjab Newspaper

In an obvious attempt to position himself as a future Chief Minister, Shiromani Akali Dal Working President Sukhbir Singh Badal unveiled a Rs 35000 crore economic blue print for futuristic development in Punjab, envisaging plans to put in place world class health tourism complexes, declare health care an industry and create an elaborate aviation network, capable of landing the biggest aircrafts in the world today, complete with cargo facility to put Punjab into an era of global linkages.

It is interesting that Sukhbir decided to release his blueprint to the media rather than discussing it with the Chief Minister. Raising questions as to whether only he would implement it and that his father would not implement it. Also his blueprint had no indication of where the resources would come from.

Political observers dismissed it as a sheikh chilli idea which he is trying to sell to the people. For the record, his dreams are as follows:

“The blue print also outlined an aggressive plan to add over 6000 MWs of power in the next three and half years by setting up projects at pit heads and port heads, liberalising the state policy to free the potential of industrial units to develop captive as well as co-generation plants and through the open access system. “The state is about to embark on ambitious and path breaking initiatives in the power sector to ensure that every house, every tube-well and every business and industrial unit in the state gets a 24 hour uninterrupted supply of electricity in the next three and half years. , said Mr. Badal, adding that the state government was in the process of going into joint ventures with the private sector.”

Outlining the finer details of the blue print, Mr. Badal said that he was glad that the state government had planned a state of the art Mohali International Airport. This project, he said, The project would be steered by the Punjab government and will entail an additional expenditure of about Rs. 1000 crore. The state government give 500 acres of land required for the purpose. The new facility would be operational by 2010 and would give a major boost to economic activity in the state.

Amritsar airport will be upgraded with private sector participation. The existing strip would be increased from 8000 feet to 12000 feet. The almost obsolete passenger and cargo infrastructure at the airport would be completely revamped and modernized to bring it at par with the world’s leading airports, said Mr. Badal.

The SAD working president disclosed that his party had successfully persuaded the state government to upgrade the Sahnewal Airport near Ludhiana into a highly sophisticated International Airport within the next three years. The government planned to enlarge the existing air-trip from 4800 feet to 12000 feet to equip it with facility to take the largest commercial carriers now playing the international airspace, like the Airbus 380. An additional tract of about 150 acres would be required for the purpose and the whole project would entail additional expenditure of Rs. 1050 crores, most of which would come through private sector participation. Similarly, the Punjab government had already set in motion the process to set up a Civil Terminal at Bathinda for a domestic airport. To be built with an expenditure of Rs. 50 crore, the airport would be capable of handling medium size aircraft and would work as a shot in the arm for economic development in the Malwa belt.

“In addition, we are also determined to put enterprising Punjab in the forefront in global competition by tapping their vast human resource reservoirs. For this,five new pilot and cabin crew training schools would be set up, one each at Amritsar, Bhatinda, Patiala, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Over 1000 students will pass out from these centers every year and there are plans to increase this number to 1500 students later. Right now, there is a shortage of 5000 trained pilots in the domestic sector alone and this demand is likely to go up to 10, 000 pilots in the next three years. “Punjab has to be ready to put its youth right in front in this sector,” said Mr. Badal.

The SAD president disclosed that his party was working in close liason with the state governent to transform the power secor in the state. For this he said that the his party’s agenda of adding 6000 MWS of power to the existing capacity . This was more than the entire generation capacity of 5000 MWs in the state over the past sixty years. The new capacity additions include 2000 MWs 2000 MWs at Port and Pit heads, 1000 MW for co generation and agricultural residual projects ,1200 at district Mansa ,1200 in Patiala, 600 in AmritsarLehra Mohabbat. He said that the state would move into an era where every house, every tubewell and every business and industrial unit will have access to 24 hour uninterrupted power supply.

The other key area of development was health care. He said that the government had agreed in principle to implement the SAD’s manifesto commitment of declaring health care as an industry. In addition, steps would be taken to turn Punjab nto a global hub for health tourism. “Our government is also looking closely at the proposal to introduce health insurance scheme for the poor in the state. “‘ he said. All this would completely revolutionise health services in the state both for the common man as well as for the elite and commercial usage for overseas clients,” said Mr. Badal. He said that the state government was already in touch with the l leading players in the field like Hindujas, Tatas, Ranbaxi, Escorts, Fortis and Apollo and they were keen to collaborate with the state government for modernizing health care services in the state. In addition, he was personally in touch with some of the leading experts, organizations and institutions across the world to help turn Punjab into a global hub of health care services and health tourism. This would turn Punjab into a global hub of health tourism.”