Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, on Wednesday urged the Central Government to announce a special economic package aimed at bringing long-term stability and growth to Punjab’s border districts.
Bajwa said the six border districts — home to over 50 lakh people — play a crucial role in the state’s agriculture but continue to suffer due to lack of industrial development.
–“The Centre must provide tax holidays like those given to Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir from 2003 to 2013. Himachal attracted ₹13,000 crore in investments during that time,” he said.
He suggested additional support such as subsidised electricity and affordable land to promote small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the region.
Bajwa said these areas could become major hubs for agro-processing and light manufacturing, helping diversify the local economy and reduce dependence on farming. He estimated that such initiatives could create 50,000 jobs in the next five years.
To further strengthen security in sensitive areas, he proposed setting up Village Defence Committees (VDCs) within a 5-km radius of the India-Pakistan border, covering around 2,000 villages.
Bajwa called on the Union Government to act swiftly to ensure both economic development and security in Punjab’s vulnerable border regions.
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