Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 27: Minister for Industries and Commerce, Chander Parkash today informed the Legislative Assembly that there are 186 sick industries units in Jammu and Kashmir and efforts are on for revival of the viable units.
Replying to the question of BJP MLA from Jammu East, Rajesh Gupta, the Minister said that there were 369 sick industrial units across Jammu and Kashmir in 2002 and the number increased to 398 in 2008. “As on date, there are 186 sick industrial units”, he added.
He informed the House that in order to identify the industrial units of the J&K, which have become sick due to onset of militancy, the Government vide Order No.47-IND of 1999 dated February 10, 1999 constituted a State Level Revival Committee.
The terms and conditions of this committee were to give incentive to only such units which are potentially viable and where the promoters undertake to restart the business and where the track records of promoter is not adverse.
In 2013, the State Government constituted a sub-committee to conduct fresh survey and ascertain the present viability of all the sick units. The committee has inspected the units and found 104 potentially viable units out of 184 number of units of Kashmir division and 3 units out of 89 in Jammu division. Accordingly, these cases were placed before State Level Rehabilitation Committee, which has cleared 85 cases for revival/rehabilitation.
About the main reason behind poor growth of industrial sector in the State, the Minister said that adverse climatic conditions, disadvantageous geographical location/away from the mainland and main markets, deficiencies in infrastructure and shortage of industrial estates played spoilsport in this regard.
He said that department was contemplating various measures for boosting the industrial sector in the State and under the new policy to be announced in July, various additional incentives are being proposed for the industrial growth in the State.
“Besides, registration is also being made online so that the procedural delay is curtailed”, he said, adding “clearances under Single Window Clearance mechanism will also be decentralized to Directorate and District level”.