By IANS
Chandigarh : Days before he presents his maiden budget, Punjab's Finance Minister Manpreet Badal Friday did some straight-talking saying he was "embarrassed" by the state's performance in recent years.
"I am definitely embarrassed. Punjab's plan outlay is less than that of neighbouring Haryana for the first time. It should have been Rs.15,000 crore (Rs.150 billion) but is only Rs.5,100 crore," he said after meeting representatives of industry and trade here.
The Britain-educated finance minister, regarded as one of the most forward-thinking ministers in uncle Parkash Singh Badal's government, is not wrong in seeing the state lagging behind others on the economic front.
"I want this situation of complete hopelessness to change," he said.
Punjab – once considered the most progressive state in the country and known for its green revolution in the field of agriculture – makes the maximum contribution to the country's food grain buffer stock every year.
But among the states doing well on the economic and industrial front, Punjab is way behind several states, especially its fast-moving neighbour, Haryana.
Much of the negative growth of Punjab is attributed to terrorism between 1982 and 1995.
"The tragedy of this state is that it has lagged behind others. We are acutely aware of the problems of the state and its industry. We are now ranked as one of the slowest growing states in the country," he told members of the PHD chamber of commerce and industry.
While not promising to change things overnight, Badal said that his first budget speech later this month will try to help the state recover its "lost momentum".
Among the things coming in the way of Punjab's development in recent years, according to Badal, is the executive arrogance.
"I have seen that officials are not doing much. We must stop this executive arrogance. Industrialists and investors want to get a good feeling, which is not happening. We are living 20-30 years behind the rest of India," Badal said in a clear message to Punjab's bureaucracy to start performing.
The finance minister said he had seen officials from other states, including Madhya Pradesh, coming to Punjab to urge industrialists to invest in their state.
"My budget this year will give a push to industry that is 10 times of last year. We will try to make Punjab power sufficient in three years and make power cheaper too," he said.
Badal said the state's finance department has even suggested that to attract industrial investment, the Punjab government should buy land every year and sell it to industry at reasonable rates.