In a fresh salvo against the Reliance Industries, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal has ‘advised’ the company to stay away from the retail sector in the State.

The Punjab CM’s statement comes in the wake of UP Chief Minister Mayawati packing off Reliance Retail from her State after strong protests by small traders  there.

Badal’s rigid stance against the retail business of the Reliance Industries has pitched him against the Opposition Congress with the state PCC chief, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal decrying the government’s policy.  Bhattal  said the government should create level-playing field for all the players entering into the retail business.

“Reliance and other big industrial houses are big traders and hence should do big business instead of stealing bread and butter from the hands of small and margial shopkeepers,” said Badal in a stringent tone here.

The Reliance Retail has already established seven stores at Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar.

However, the Akali-BJP Government which took over reins of power this March had ordered a review of the Rs 500 crore mega farm-to-fork project of the  Reliance Industries which had been set into motion during the previous Congress regime.

The State Industry Minister, Mr  Manoranjan Kalia, of the BJP which is a coalition partner of the Akalis in the Badal cabinet made the government policy explicit by saying, “Reliance is welcome to set up big industries in Punjab. However, it should avoid entry into the retail sector.”

He said big industrial houses like the Reliance should not compete with the owner of a small shop in a town in Punjab.

Continuing in his preaching tone, Chief minister Badal said that instead of entering retail business, big corporate houses should spend at least 10  per cent of their profit on providing health services, education and drinking water to people.

However, he was quick to add that his government would not impose a ‘ban’ on the entry of industrial houses into the retail sector.

Badal’s statement has been welcomed by the Bharti Kisan Union —the leading farmers’ organisation in the state — which had been at the forefront of the movement to stall entry of corporate retail in Punjab. Agreeing with the chief minister, the BKU president, Balbir Singh Rajewal, said big companies like Reliance should not come in the way of the interests of small farmers.