Mumbai, Jan 24 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday visited the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and showcased the state as the most preferred investment destination across the country.
The Chief Minister, while interacting with the media after performing the bell ringing ceremony at the BSE here, showcased Punjab as a land of opportunities and invited companies to invest in the state.
He said entrepreneurs will be immensely benefited by investing in the state, which is rapidly emerging as the industrial hub of the country.
"Punjab has complete communal harmony, peace and amity, which are mainly responsible for overall development and prosperity in the state," he said.
The Chief Minister urged the industrialists to make optimum use of this congenial atmosphere backed by excellent infrastructure, power, skilled human resources and the best industrial and work culture to spread their business.
Extending a red carpet welcome to the industrialists, he said the government was always open for new ideas and innovations to boost the industrial growth in Punjab. "The day is not far away when Punjab will emerge as the industrial hub of the country," Mann said.
Inviting the captains of the industry to visit the state in the Invest Punjab Summit slated to be held next month at SAS Nagar, the Chief Minister said that the Invest Punjab Summit being organised on February 23-24 will prove to be a milestone in giving a major fillip to the industrial growth of the state.
He said the government has already finalised the arrangements for this mega event. Mann said the main motive behind giving fillip to industrialisation in the state is to reverse the trend of brain drain in the state by opening new vistas of employment for the youth.
On the occasion, Chief Executive Officer of the BSE, Sundararaman R., felicitated the Chief Minister.
According to media reports, Mann, who was on a eigh-day trip to Germany till September 18, delayed his departure as he was reportedly in 'an inebriated state'. However, AAP has strongly denied the charge, saying Mann was not deplaned at the Frankfurt airport. The party termed it as false and frivolous propaganda by political rivals.
The official added that a case was registered against Shailendra Sharma, the Superintendent and Tax Clerk Raman Agarwal on a complaint alleging that they were demanding a bribe of Rs 50,000 which was reduced to Rs 25,000 from the complainant for getting his mutation file processed. The CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while demanding and accepting the bribe of Rs 25,000 from the complainant.
Both -- Mandeep, alias Manna Tuffan, and Manpreet, alias Mani Rayia -- were allegedly involved in the murder of gangster Ranbir Singh, alias Rana Kandowalia. Kandowalia, who was facing dozens of cases of murder and attempt to murder, was gunned down outside a private hospital in Amritsar in August last year. The Bhagwanpuria group had taken the responsibility for the murder.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had ordered a CBI probe into the death of Phogat. The move came after Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant recommended a CBI probe into the case as per demand of Phogat's daughter and people of Haryana.
The two-time chief minister of Punjab had fought the assembly elections in the state earlier this year in alliance with the BJP as well as Akali Dal (Sanyukt). His party - Punjab Lok Congress - though had failed to get even a single seat during the assembly elections.
During deliberations, the Chief Minister envisaged opportunities for mutual collaboration in business and solutions. He said that the alliance could provide on-field handholding to Punjab farmers in best practices of crop management.
