PUNJAB chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday announced that the Centre had approved 13 special economic zones (SEZs) for Punjab and the state government will soon enact the Punjab SEZs Act to facilitate the implementation of these projects. Speaking on the launch of 'Crop Tiger 60' harvestor combine of Rs 100 crore CLAAS India, a 100% subsidiary of CLAAS Group of Germany near Morinda, Mr Badal said that CLAAS's initiative to invest in Punjab would have a catalytic effect on other German companies. Mr Badal reiterated that the state government was determined to accelerate the pace of industrial development and a new industrial policy was being finalised in consultation with United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). The core initiative would be to increase growth rate of manufacturing sector to make Punjab a investment destination, attract foreign direct investment. He pointed out that the new policy would be implemented in consultation with the industry through the Industrial Development Board, to be constituted by the state government. To facilitate the movement of industrial growth, Mr Badal said that the freight corridor being developed by the Centre from Kolkata to Delhi has been extended upto Ludhiana. M P Malik, MD, CLAAS India, said that the project would give fillip to the process of mechanisation in the state thereby increasing the yield per acre. He hopped the project would contribute substantially to state's revenues. Speaking on the occasion, deputy chairperson, CLAAS Germany, Catherine Claas outlined the profile of the company and its operation in Europe, US and Asia along with marketing and service network across the World