State govt giving step-motherly treatment to Amritsar: AVM

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 6

The non-governmental organisation(NGO), Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM), has expressed concern over the step-motherly treatment meted out to the holy city. Office-bearers of the NGO claimed that the Punjab government had not released Rs 40 crore for the Patti-Makhu rail line. It also failed to acquire 35-40 acre land on the Amritsar- Attari road for the construction of the campus for the Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and Education, which was announced five-year back in 2015 by the Central government.

Principal Kulwant Singh Ankhi, patron, Amritsar Vikas Manch, said, “The state government is least bothered to establish international convention centre and exhibition centre at Amritsar pending since 2009. Amritsar is the oldest city which hosted many international cricket matches in 1982 and 1905 between India v Sri Lanka and India v New Zealand and produced famous cricket personalities like Bishan Singh Bedi and Amarnath. But instead of constructing international cricket stadium in Amritsar, the Punjab government is constructing second international cricket stadium in Mohali”.

“Amritsar has been selected as IT destination by the Punjab as well as the Central government and a software Software Technology Park of India (STPI) is near completion at Amritsar but the state government has not shown its interest to set up IT companies at Amritsar and every time IT companies are allotted sites in Mohali. Due to indifferent attitude of the Punjab government, not even a single IT company has set up its base in Amritsar. The state government is providing best infrastructure for IT industry at Mohali but not in Amritsar,” added Ankhi

“Most of the textile industry of Amritsar closed after 1980 and shifted to Panipat, Ludhiana etc, but no efforts was made by the Punjab government to revive textile industry in Amritsar. The state government is acquiring around 3 to 4 thousand acres land all over Punjab and especially Mohali, but not even a single acre is acquired at Amritsar for the last five years”, claimed Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, patron, Amritsar Vikas Manch.

“The Central government had also sanctioned SEZ in Amritsar in 2004 and an MoU was signed between the Punjab government and DLF. But due to indifferent, biased and anti-Amritsar attitude of the state government, the SEZ project could not see the light of the day. In Mohali and other districts, the state government has acquired thousands of acres and still is acquiring land for mega projects but for Amritsar, it has no interest”, said Manmohan Singh Brar, president of the Amritsar Vikas Manch.