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PUNJAB : Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has said he is interested to find out how the Indian states of Punjab and Haryana plan to cope with the challenges of industrialisation.
Mr Goh was speaking at a dinner hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Punjab on Monday. It is Mr Goh's first visit to the state.
Punjab is the first stop of Mr Goh's six-day trip to India to explore business opportunities for Singapore.
Mr Goh will also meet India's political leaders. On Friday, he will hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.
Mr Goh told his audience that he is confident India will achieve a double-digit growth in future.
He noted that other states are moving into manufacturing to create jobs for the people.
And he is curious to know what Punjab and Haryana states would do to keep up.
Mr Goh said: "Punjab, for example, where will it be? Because I do not see the government here or the central government allowing the state to take up valuable farmland in order to go into manufacturing when you could do it elsewhere.
"So if you cannot move into manufacturing ... 30 years from now, would this state still be among the richest states in India? Or would it drop its position to second, third, fifth or sixth?
"I do not know, so I am curious to find out how Punjab is going to plan its future in the medium-term. I am talking about medium-term, long-term, 30 years or so." - CNA/de
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