In a bid to further promote the startup eco-system in the state, Punjab chief minister (CM) Amarinder Singh on Wednesday approved the Punjab Startup Hub, under which a state-of-the-art incubation center is proposed to be set up in Mohali.

The CM also gave the nod to the constitution of a high-level committee to draft a proposal for resettlement and rehabilitation of those who would be affected in the process of eviction from panchayati land for setting up of industrial hubs across the state. The committee will comprise Financial Commissioner Revenue, Principal Secretary Rural Development and Panchayats and Principal Secretary Finance.

The directives were issued by the CM while chairing the maiden meeting of Punjab Industrial and Business Development Board, which has been set up to ensure smooth and effective implementation of the new industrial policy.

Reaffirming his strong commitment to boost industry in the state, Amarinder directed officials to further streamline requisite permission processes so as to ensure congenial industrial atmosphere, besides providing a level playing field to all the interested industrialists and entrepreneurs to set up their ventures in the state. He also reiterated his government’s firm resolve to providing the basic infrastructure to the industrialists for leveraging Punjab as the most favoured investment destination in the country.

Underlining the need to capitalise on the opportunities in the leather sector, Amarinder directed the Industries Department to explore possibilities of setting up a special purpose vehicle at Jalandhar under the Mega Leather Cluster Scheme of Union government.

Taking part in the deliberations, Cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu also emphasised the need to set up Special Economic Zones for Sports and Leather industries at Jalandhar to tap the immense export potential of both sectors.

Reviewing the status of the hi-tech cycle valley to be set up at Ludhiana, CM was informed that the concept plan was at the final stage and further 80 acres of land had been made available by Dhanansu village panchayat in addition to the already procured 300 acres of land. Amarinder accepted the proposal to ascertain the feasibility of the land pooling scheme while acquiring land for industrial projects across the state.

Earlier, Cabinet minister Brahm Mohindra informed the CM about the impending litigation in the process of land acquisition by the government under the integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) at Rajpura under Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor. It was also informed that out of 1,000 acres required for setting up of IMC, the PSIEC had already identified 206 acres for the first phase.

On the issue of maintenance and upgradation of focal points, CM directed Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) to explore the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and appoint consultants for assisting the Industry Department in upgrading infrastructure on an immediate basis to facilitate industrial growth.