Panipat: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and senior state vice-president Haryana Anurag Dhanda shared their problems and gave suggestions while talking to the traders in Panipat. Traders and the industrialists inquired about simplifying the NOC process in Punjab, high electricity rates and frequent power cuts in Haryana affecting the industry, standardizing GST tax slabs for textiles and simplifying the GST portal. People in trade and industry also asked what measures are being taken in Punjab to support small and medium enterprises and raised concerns about high-level corruption in Haryana affecting single-window systems and various business services. However, Bhagwant Maan stated that this was not a political rally. The issues faced by traders are not unique to Haryana; similar problems were previously also seen in Punjab and Delhi prior to AAP rule, and are now present in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh as well. The industry is considered the government’s biggest revenue source but is often neglected, criticized and labeled unfairly despite providing employment to many, but the industry is not given proper attention.
Maan expressed wonder why traders bring red bags with money to political parties during elections in-spite of the fact the traders do not like the parties’ agendas. They bring the money merely to avoid harassment if the party wins. He said, after taking charge of the chief minister when he invited Punjab’s traders and industry owners, they revealed so many problems that despite the existence of a single-window system, there are multiple windows within it. “Consequently, Punjab implemented a single-window single-pen system, aiming for work to start and end with the same pen number. Policies were formulated based on traders’ suggestions,” Punjab CM said. He noted that the Aam Aadmi Party provides free electricity in Delhi and Punjab, not distinguishing between different types of cards. In Punjab, 90% of households receive zero electricity bills. He questioned why this couldn’t be done in Haryana, highlighting that solar power is available at Rs 2.54 per unit in the market.
Maan said, Punjab has signed an agreement for 1,100 megawatts of solar power. Punjab has five thermal plants, two government-owned and three private. He surprisingly said that despite having a coal mine in Jharkhand that produces 3 million metric tons of coal annually, a central rule requires the coal to be used only in government thermal plants. Maan said the government bought a 540-megawatt thermal plant, an unprecedented move in India where governments usually sell, not buy, private sector assets. Now, Punjab has three government thermal plants, providing electricity at Rs 5.50 per unit, whereas in Haryana rates are over Rs 10 per unit. Maan criticized the lengthy processes for the industry like fire safety, pollution control, CLU and other formalities for starting industry in Haryana, which takes longer time besides harassment by the government departments and assured if the Aam Aadmi Party comes to power in Haryana promises to complete processes in 15 days with one pen, if it can be done in Delhi and Punjab, why not in Haryana? Maan raised a question. He asserted that the Aam Aadmi Party’s intentions toward traders are clear. The party resolved the VAT OTS issue in Punjab, benefiting the government by hundreds of crores. Maan criticized the BJP for its limited concern for traders to improve industries, accusing the BJP of neglecting public concerns.
Anurag Dhanda, senior state vice-president, highlighted that the purpose of the discussion with those in trade and industry was to demonstrate the Aam Aadmi Party’s approach to creating a favorable environment for traders and its future plans for Haryana if given a chance. He said, two and a half years ago, industries were leaving Punjab due to inadequate conditions. However, in the past two and a half years, the environment has improved significantly, attracting new industries and traders eager to invest in Punjab. He said, promise to eliminate inspector raj led to a significant increase in revenue by 2,000 crores after removing trade inspections. He criticized the current regime for imposing heavy toll taxes on traders, who face increased costs and inadequate facilities.
Aam Aadmi Party state president Sushil Gupta while talking to media persons in reply to question said that while granting bail to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the Supreme Court had said that the trial in the case should have been completed in five or six months but was not done, as such it has become clear that the Enforcement Directorate (ED)) case was not going to end soon and that agency wants people to stay in jail for a long time and the BJP’s conspiracy has been exposed. As regards Arvind Kejriwal he will also be out of jail soon. The people of the whole country have understood the BJP’s conspiracy to finish AAP. “Kejriwal cannot be kept in jail for long in a false case. The false cases of the CBI and the ED will not last long,” he added.
