Sukhbir Badal Promises Rs 5 Per Unit Power for Punjab Industry, New Build Punjab Departmentਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਬਾਦਲ ਨੇ ਸਨਅਤ ਲਈ 5 ਰੁਪਏ ਯੂਨਿਟ ਬਿਜਲੀ ਅਤੇ ਬਿਲਡ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿਭਾਗ ਦਾ ਵਾਅਦਾ ਕੀਤਾ

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday promised that an SAD government would supply power to Punjab's industry at Rs 5 per unit, set up a new 'Build Punjab' department to give builders time-bound clearances, and give top priority to new information technology and artificial intelligence facilities in the state. The announcements, made at an open interaction with trade and industry representatives in Chandigarh, are among the most detailed economic promises the party has rolled out so far ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, IANS reported. The Hindu and Nation Press carried similar reports of the interaction.

What did Badal promise on industrial power?

Badal said industry in Punjab had become unviable because of power rates of Rs 10 to Rs 12 per unit. An SAD government, he said, would bring the rate for the industrial sector down to Rs 5 per unit. He went further and said industrialists would be allowed to install their own solar power plants, which would bring their effective power rates down to Rs 1.50 per unit. Cheaper power has been a long-standing demand of Punjab's industry, and the promise puts energy costs at the centre of the Akali Dal's pitch to the business community.

What is the proposed Build Punjab department?

Badal said a 'Build Punjab' department would be established on the pattern of the Invest Punjab department set up by the previous SAD government to ensure time-bound clearances for new investment. 'The department will be liable to issue all permissions to builders within one month,' he said. He also announced that change of land use (CLU) charges would be reduced and the entire process of granting CLU would be made completely transparent, and that a one-time settlement scheme would be announced for all irregular colonies in the state.

What else was in the package?

Badal said the SAD believed in trusting the citizens of Punjab: his government would enforce self-attestation to remove paperwork and make all permissions online, so that no citizen would have to visit a government office for official work. For the farm and dairy sector, he committed the next SAD government to a 75 per cent subsidy on the purchase of milch animals and said Section 307 would be imposed on those who indulge in adulteration of milk. He said the issue of the freezing of the 2.5 per cent commission of arthiyas (commission agents) in foodgrain procurement would be taken up, the interests of small transporters being made to pay four years of tax in advance would be looked into, and the complaints of chemist shop owners, including about habit-forming drugs being sold through online platforms in Punjab, would also be addressed.

Who was at the interaction?

Badal held the open interaction with trade and industry representatives in Chandigarh on Friday, October 30, along with N.K. Sharma, president of the party's trade and industry wing. The announcements were addressed directly at traders, builders and industrialists, a constituency every major party in Punjab is courting as the state moves into election mode.

Why does this pitch matter now?

Punjab votes in Assembly elections due by February 2027, and the campaign is taking shape quickly. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party is set to release its first list of candidates on Saturday, October 31, and the Akali Dal is in advanced talks with the BJP over a possible alliance and seat sharing. Badal's package is an attempt to set the economic agenda early: cheaper power, faster clearances and a promise to cut red tape for business. The reports of the interaction did not spell out how the lower power tariff and the subsidies would be funded, which is likely to be the first question the party faces from rivals and from the state's power utility watchers.

What power rate has SAD promised Punjab industry?

Rs 5 per unit, down from the current Rs 10 to Rs 12 per unit, with industrialists allowed to install their own solar plants to bring the effective rate down to Rs 1.50 per unit.

What is the Build Punjab department?

It is a proposed department, modelled on the earlier Invest Punjab department, that would be liable to issue all permissions to builders within one month.

When are the Punjab Assembly elections due?

The elections are due by February 2027. The term of the present Punjab Assembly ends on March 16, 2027.