Chandigarh--  The Cabinet Minister of Punjab Mr. Anil Joshi today asked the Congress led UPA Government to stop discrimination with Punjab on the Industrial front. Referring to the letter written by the Union Government to the Punjab Government expressing inability to offer incentives to Punjab at par with hilly states, mentioning that the industrial backwardness criterion does not hold good in the case of Punjab, Mr. Joshi said that Union Government was elected by the whole country for the whole country and it was very unfortunate that UPA Government is following different yardsticks for the non congress ruled states.

The Minister further said that the step-motherly treatment with Punjab at the hands of Central Government with release of special packages to the adjoining Congress rules State i.e. Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir etc.Mr. Joshi said that during the recent months, he was seeking appointments with Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Commerce Minister to discuss granting of special packages to Border Districts of Punjab State, categorically mentioning that these districts had bore the brunt of terrorism due to which the industries had suffered a lot, but instead of listening Punjab’s case, Union Government has announced the extension of industrial incentives to the congress ruled states.

He said that Punjab had recently brought out a liberal Industrial policy offering many incentives and that Centre was offering/extending incentives to adjoining states too at the cost of Punjab.