Mukesh Ambani evinces interest to give broadband connectivity to all schools and hospitals in Punjab

Mumbai/Chandigarh, October 22, 2013: Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani today following discussions with Punjab Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced his keen interest to increase broadband connectivity in Punjab besides taking up a petro chemical project, expanding its facility in Hoshiarpur and even considering investment in agro processing in Punjab.
In an over one and a half hour meeting with the Deputy CM who was accompanied by Industries minister Madan Mohan Mittal and Industrial Adviser Kamal Oswal, the Reliance group head also agreed to attend the Progressive Punjab Investment summit being held on December 9-10following a personal invitation extended by Sukhbir Badal.
The Deputy CM while giving a brief about the State government initiatives to Ambani and his team said his government was on the verge of making Punjab surplus in power generation following which the Reliance chief said his company would increase the scope of its operations in Hoshiarpur. The Deputy CM also urged the Reliance group to invest in solar and bio mass power saying his government was facilitating investment in this sector through special incentives.
He also briefed Ambani about the incentives being given on the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Central Sales Tax (CST) front whereby companies investing in the State could retain as much as 80 per cent of both taxes for a period of ten years. Ambani lauded the Deputy CM for his out of the box thinking and described the initiative as “revolutionary”.
During his discussions with the Deputy CM, the Reliance head said his company was ready to provide broadband connectivity to all schools and hospitals in the State at a nominal cost. He said this initiative had the capability to change lives.
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 this sector. He said Punjab could play a big role in this initiative following which the Deputy CM said the State was open to the establishment of a Vocational Training University and said Reliance could start certified courses for various vocational courses in such a University.
The Reliance chief also invited the Deputy CM to visit Jamnagar to see the various advances in research on the use of sunlight and biomass for creation of synthetic crude oil.
Others present on the occasion, included chief parliamentary secretary N K Sharma, Media Adviser to Deputy CM -  Jangveer Singh, chief secretary Rakesh Singh, FCD Suresh Kumar, Housing Secretary Venu Prasad, Administrative Secretary Industry and commerce Vikas Pratap and special secretary Manvesh Sidhu. www.cityairnews.com