Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 11: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) today urged for the liberation of agro-wood-based industry from “Licence Raj” to foster the growth and development of this vital activity.
In a statement, the apex industrial chamber, while terming the ‘Licence Raj’ as an oppressive system to keep wood-based enterprises of J&K in chains, has demanded its banishment to provide a fresh gust of liberalised environment to the activity, particularly to those industrial units that have had no impact on the nationalised forests.
“We seek the intervention of the Financial Commissioner, Department of Forest, Ecology, and Environment, Dheeraj Gupta, in the early removal of anomalies in the guidelines issued under SRO 321 of 2022, which contradicted the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) under S.O 3000 (E) at many places,” the statement said.
The statement added that FCIK has constantly been receiving complaints of heavy intervention in the operation of wood-based industrial units across the Kashmir Valley, which is stifling this economic activity and hampering the smooth operations of the concerned units.
It further said that while acknowledging the difficulties faced by the wood-based industry, president FCIK Shahid Kamili intimated to the concerned that FCIK was vigorously following the issue for a meaningful resolution and, in this regard, has held two formal meetings with the Financial Commissioner and other top authorities of the forest department in recent months.
“Whereas many decisions to remove anomalies in the guidelines and ease out the renewal of licence mechanisms were taken in a meeting on October 21, 2023, the formal orders are still awaited despite the record note of minutes having been issued on November 13,” the statement added.
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