The Punjab government will provide the smartphones to the youths having annual income up to Rs Six Lakh and having a minimum qualification up to matric level in a phased manner.

The CM Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said in the Assembly that the smart phones will be given to the youths between the age group of 18 to 35 years as the same was committed in the election manifesto of his party.

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The CM stressed his government’s focus on youth empowerment, pointing to the successful roll-out of the ‘Ghar Ghar Rozgar’ (job for every household) scheme by his government in its first year itself.

About 1.3 million youth in the state had contacted the government for jobs or gainful employment during the elections 2017 and the government had started working on a mission “Ghar Ghar Rozgar te Karobaar (job for every household and business,” said the CM, adding that a total of 1,66,291 jobs had so far been created in various categories, including 31,084 from the Mega Rozgar Melas (employment fairs) and 25718 government jobs, besides 36022 from self-employment opportunities.

The government had already advertised another 16130 jobs, said the CM, adding that the process of recruitment against these would be completed shortly.

The CM also informed that the operational guidelines under the New Industrial Policy for Punjab would be notified by 31 March, 2018. He said the guidelines will ensure effective ease of doing business at Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion.

He added that his government would also endeavour to provide a similar facility to all investors, local and otherwise, at district level by establishing a branch of the Bureau at each of the districts.

Citing the unprecedented measure of providing power tariff at Rs 5 per unit to existing as well as new industry, the CM further pointed out that his government had, for the first time in the state, allowed a power subsidy of Rs 625 Crore to the Industry during the current year. The subsidy would increase to about Rs1,440 Crore in the next financial year, he said.

The CM also pointed to the effective implementation of the notification abolishing truck unions and removal of inter-state check barriers as major steps to promote industry.

During the last one year, Invest Punjab has signed 155 Memorandums of Understanding with an investment intent of Rs 47,000 Crore and an expected employment generation of approximately 77,000, the CM informed the House.