*Supply of raw material from Kashmir suspended
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Apr 17: At least 28 local cement units in Jammu region are facing survival crisis as the raw material (lime stone) supply from Kashmir mines has abruptly stopped for the last over 7-8 months, due to Government apathy, resulting ouster of a work-force of about 3000 to 3500 skilled, semi skilled people.
“While almost all the 15 such local cement units in Kashmir region are functioning and not facing suspension of supplies of lime stone, all the 28 such units including 14 in Kathua district and seven in district Samba, are almost lying closed due to non-availability of raw material. All these units are dependent on the supply of raw material from private mines in Kashmir, specially Anantnag district. Due to imposition of new rules and some strict measures by the LG’s Administration, the supplies have been abruptly stopped,” official sources said.
With such measures, the unit holders from Jammu region are smelling some conspiracy against them as almost 90% of them have closed while a few which are dependent on the supply of clinker and other raw material from Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh or other States, are unable to compete in the market with such a costly material as their production cost per bag of cement has gone very high.
Sources added that most of the cement units holders in Kashmir have taken private mines on lease and some of them are located closer to the sites. They are not facing such a major crisis. Moreover, for the extraction and transportation for the Jammu units, there are fresh restrictions. During last six months, over 60-70% of the staff has been ousted by many unit holders as they are unable to pay their salaries/ wages. The LG’s Administration despite several meetings by the Industries Association from Kathua and Samba failed to resolve the issue or provide some temporary relief, sources added.
Ajeet Bawa, president Industries Association Kathua said the Industry in Jammu already faced massive crisis during COVID-19 lockdowns since 2019, but now with the sudden suspension of raw material/ lime stone supply from south Kashmir, over 90% of the cement units in Jammu region have closed. Bawa said they called on the then Director Industries Jammu, Principal Secretary Industries and Commerce, Ranjan Parkash and MK Dwivedi the then incharge Pr Secy Geology and Mining but the matter remained unresolved. Even the FOIJ representatives also met Chief Secretary in this connection but only received assurances.
Responding to a question, Association president said he has his own two cement units at Kathua, but both are now non-functional. Bawa said he provided salary to the idle staff for 2-3 months but was forced to remove his workers against his wishes due to excess burden. Not only he, many other units holders have been forced to throw out their skilled and semi- skilled workers. He said some units are 20 or 30 years old, but they never faced such crisis. It is for the first time that this has happened here that too after the abrogation of Art 370. He alleged that many Kashmir based units are functional but units in Jammu are being allegedly sabotaged due to unknown reasons.
Vijay Aggarwal, president Industries Association Samba when contacted said that unfortunately, the people at the helm of affairs in J&K are hell bent to ruin the existing Industry in Jammu and Kashmir. Instead of helping the Industry going on ventilator, the officers in LG’s Administration are unable to resolve the issues and provide uninterrupted supply of raw material to the local Cement units in Jammu region. He said 14 units are in Kathua, in Samba there are 7 while in Jammu two and Udhampur three such units. Over 90 % are lying closed. The cost of raw material including coal has gone high and for the last two weeks the supplies from Rajasthan and other states have also affected.
Referring to the indifferent attitude of the officers at the helm of affairs, Aggarwal said Association had taken up the issue with MK Dwivedi before taking charge by Principal Secretary, Ashok Parmar. He had directed his officers on the spot to resolve the bottlenecks and ensure supplies of raw material to these unit holders who have invested crores of rupees in this sector, but after that nothing happened. He said thousands of workers connected with this sector have lost their jobs. Their families are badly hit but the UT Administration is still unmoved.
Not only senior officers in the Administration, the Industries Association members also met three senior BJP leaders in Jammu but they too, except mere lip sympathy did nothing for the cause of Jammu Industry. The Industries voice was used to be heard during NC, Cong or PDP regime but it is unfortunate that so called leaders from Jammu have turned mute spectators, having no pains for concerns of Jammu.
Another senior member of Cement Industry, Anil Gupta said all the top officers were well aware of the crisis in the cement industry in Jammu region. They must take cognizance of the issue at their own. But instead of minimizing the sufferings of the Industry, they are aggravating the crisis. He sought the intervention of Lt Governor into the matter.
Director, Geology and Mining, J&K, OP Bhagat when contacted said as per new norms, all the existing old private mines operators have to take environment clearance as per NGT norms and also get the mining plan approved from the competent authority. That process is taking some time. As and when they will complete the formalities, they can operate and sell the lime stone.
He said Khyber Cement unit in Kashmir has captive mine operations. This unit is functional besides a few others. Those who have cleared the formalities are operating. This process is taking some time and after clearance of these formalities they will operate. In Jammu no such private mines are there, But the Government has framed new policy of e-auctioning of these mines in future in J&K, the Director added.
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