Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 4: Reiterating present Coalition Government’s resolve to boost industrial activities for socio-economic transformation of the State with main focus on employment generation, the Minister of State for Industries and Commerce, Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo today said that 18 new Industrial Estates, 9 each in Kashmir and Jammu divisions are being development in various districts. He said about 2,523 kanals of land valued at about Rs. 82 crore in Kashmir division and about 5637 kanals of land valuing about Rs. 87 crore in Jammu division is being acquired for this purpose on war-footing basis.
Speaking to media persons, Mr. Kitchloo said that new places identified for developing Industrial Estates in Kashmir included Vessu in Anantnag district, Ashmuji-Anantnag, Ompora-Budgam, Khanmoh Phase-III, Malwan-Kulgam, Mehmood Abad-Dooru, Redbug-Kupwara and Changrathang-Kargil whereas the new Industrial Estates in Jammu division are being established in IGC Samba Phase-III, Lamberi-Rajouri, Surankote-Poonch, Beoli-Doda, Nibla-Reasi, Majalta-Udhampur, Heeranagar-Kathua, Dambra-Billawar and Pocchal-Kishtwar.
He said at present there are 53 Industrial Estate spread over 4,442 acres of land in various parts of the State which are managed by SICOP, SIDCO and Directorate of Industries. “While SICOP is primarily promoting Small Scale Industrial Sector by way of providing raw material and marketing support to the entrepreneurs, the SIDCO has been entrusted the job to promote medium and large scale industries.
Mr. Kitchloo said besides setting up new Industrial Estates, the existing ones are also being upgraded in a phased manner to provide better infrastructural support to the entrepreneurs, adding that upgradation of Industrial Estates Khanmoh Phase-II and III, Industrial Estate Gangyal and Bari-Brahamna at a cost of Rs. 32.57 crore is in full swing.
Mr. Kitchloo said that in order to provide industrial infrastructure to Information Technology entrepreneurs of the State a modern I.T Park spread over 150 kanals of land in Industrial Estates Ompora is being established shortly for which MoU has already been signed by the SIDCO and I.T Department. Similarly, two Biotech parks over 80 kanals of land in Industrial Estates of Ompora Budgam and Ghati Kathua are being set-up very soon to promote technology based industries in the State.