Mohali: Lamenting the erstwhile Badal government’s apathy to Punjab’s development, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday reiterated his government’s commitment to boost industry and create jobs, while hailing QuarkCity’s contribution to employment generation in the state. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of the upcoming Business Center at QuarkCity, Mohali, the Chief Minister lauded the project as a future home for world class Information Technology (IT)/Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) companies by providing congenial work atmosphere.

Mohali: Lamenting the erstwhile Badal government’s apathy to Punjab’s development, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Wednesday reiterated his government’s commitment to boost industry and create jobs, while hailing QuarkCity’s contribution to employment generation in the state. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of the upcoming Business Center at QuarkCity, Mohali, the Chief Minister lauded the project as a future home for world class Information Technology (IT)/Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) companies by providing congenial work atmosphere. 

The tricity's most important Business Center would primarily cater to the continued demand for high quality office infrastructure, he said, thanking QuarkCity chairman Fred Ebrahimi for taking keen interest to set up this gigantic infrastructure project. Recalling his first meeting with Fred in 2002, the chief minister said his commitment to the development of QuarkCity was an asset for Punjab.

With 50000 jobs already generated, and another 25000 promised by him, Fred’s contribution to the state’s development was humungous, said Captain Amarinder. The chief minister lamented that Punjab’s industry had been ruined by the apathy of the previous government, which completely ignored the state’s growth and development. Pointing out that his government was according the highest priority to the industrial development of the state, the Chief Minister described the QuarkCity as an important project to boost Punjab’s industrial development.

The project, which would lead to the emergence of Punjab as one of northern India’s major IT hubs, is the state’s first and only operational SEZ for the IT & ITES Sector and has created not only highly paid professional jobs, but also jobs for construction, engineering, design and building support services, he added. This, said the Chief Minister, was in line with his government’s thrust on bringing the beleaguered industry in the state back on track with several out-of-the-box initiatives, including the new industrial policy to be announced soon.  

Earlier, interacting with some of the employees and business promoters in the QuarkCity, the Chief Minister said his government was in talks to develop air connectivity for Mohali with at least one international destination, either in Europe or Asia. He agreed with the suggestion that all efforts should be taken to promote entrepreneurship and to bring back the talent that had shifted out of Punjab to other states by developing good infrastructure. He said his government was taking all possible steps to encourage start-ups.