Chandigarh, August 22, 2025: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Friday launched the Policy for Empanelment of Certified Professionals, describing it as a transformative step toward making Punjab a leading industrial hub in the country.
Speaking at the launch, the Chief Minister said the policy would accelerate industrial growth, create new employment opportunities for the state’s youth, and strengthen Punjab’s image as a preferred investment destination. He called the move a landmark initiative aimed at streamlining regulatory approvals while ensuring strict environmental safeguards.
Mann highlighted Punjab’s growing industrial base in food processing, textiles, auto components, hand tools, bicycles, IT, and tourism, noting that the state has become a magnet for global investors. “Our commitment to good governance and transparent regulations has already made Punjab a frontrunner in ease of doing business,” he said.
He pointed out that reforms such as time-bound clearances within 45 days and in-principle approvals in just three days under the Punjab Right to Business Act have set benchmarks for other states. The new policy, he explained, introduces a structured and transparent system where empanelled professionals will validate compliance for industries.
These certified professionals will primarily include retired environmental engineers from state pollution boards, pollution control committees, or environment departments, as well as retired associate professors with relevant qualifications. They will help industries in White, Green, and Orange categories, particularly those in industrial estates, obtain regulatory approvals like Consent to Establish, Consent to Operate, and compliance monitoring under environmental laws.
Calling it the first policy of its kind in India, Mann said it balances faster industrial approvals with robust environmental safeguards. “This will ease compliance for industries, ensure cleaner air and water, promote sustainable development, and open doors of employment for our youth,” he stressed.
The Chief Minister urged industries, professionals, and the Punjab Pollution Control Board to work together to build a globally competitive and environmentally sustainable Punjab. He compared empanelled experts to notaries, empowered to approve industrial proposals, which he said will bring transparency and speed to the system.
Mann declared it a historic day for Punjab’s industrialists, noting that the traditionally agrarian state is now embracing industrial development to generate jobs and reverse the trend of brain drain. “Punjab has entered the era of brain gain,” he said, urging industrialists to support the policy and professionals to contribute wholeheartedly to its success.
Secretary for Science, Technology and Environment Priyank Bharti, Punjab Pollution Control Board Chairperson Reena Gupta, and other officials were present at the launch.
