Reliance Industries is planning a series of investments in Punjab, which include providing broadband connectivity to schools and hospitals, setting up a petro chemical project and expanding its existing manufacturing facility at Hoshiarpur.
According to a statement issued by the Punjab Government, Chairman of Reliance Industries (RIL) Mukesh Ambani met up with the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal.
Broadband connectivity
An announcement on Tuesday noted that RIL was ready to provide broadband connectivity to all schools and hospitals in the State at a nominal cost.
Ambani also expressed his company’s desire to train more than a million diploma engineers in home services, saying his company wanted to develop real-time skills of the youth as well as create jobs in the sector. He said Punjab could play a big role in this initiative, according to the statement.
The Deputy CM noted that the State was open to the establishment of a Vocational Training University and said that Reliance Industries could start certified courses for various vocational courses in such a university.
While giving a brief about the State government initiatives to Ambani and his team, Badal said his Government was on the verge of making Punjab surplus in power generation. To this, Ambani said his company would increase the scope of its operations in Hoshiarpur, the statement added.
Solar power
During the meeting, Badal also urged RIL to invest in the solar and biomass power. He pointed out that his Government was facilitating investment in the sector through special incentives, as also to the Value Added Tax and Central Sales Tax scheme, whereby companies investing in the State could retain as much as 80 per cent of both taxes for a period of 10 years.
The site for the new petro chemical project was not disclosed in the statement.
When contacted, RIL spokesperson refused to comment on the talks.
rahul.wadke@thehindu.co.in