Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 24: Minister for Industries and Commerce, Chander Parkash Ganga today said massive upgradation of industrial infrastructure has been taken up in the State to promote industrial growth.
He said to promote local arts and crafts, handicraft units registered with Handicraft Department shall now be considered at par with the industrial units for the purpose of availing incentives under the existing Industrial Policy of the State.
“Under the programme extensive infrastructure upgradation has been taken up after decades in various Industrial Estates across State at a cost of Rs 138 crore,” the Minister said while winding up the discussion in the House on Demand for Grants of the Industries & Commerce and allied Departments.
He said the department was also in the process of setting up Rural Industrial Estates across State for which Rs 10 crore have been earmarked in the budget. He said 13661 kanals of land at various places in the State is under different stages of transfer/acquisition to serve as land bank for industrial growth.
Regarding the initiatives in the industrial sector, the Minister said that the department has started GIS mapping of all the industrial estates to capture, store, analyze and manage the data in respect of the Industrial Estates.
He said Rs 40 crore DPR has been formulated for establishment of Common Facility Centre for Leather Cluster at Industrial Estate Lassipora. He said the DPR has been submitted to the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Government of India for sanction.
He said 4 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) are being constructed under various schemes in Industrial Estates at Ghatti, Rangreth, Khunmoh and Lassipora. “Two more proposals for CETPs at Bari Brahmana and Samba are under submission,” he said.
The Minister said a Technology Centre is being set up at Samba at a cost of Rs 100 crore to extend technological and design support to micro, small and medium enterprises besides providing industrial know-how and skill development of the youth for better employment avenues in the Industries sector. He said to promote Ease of Doing Business, the Government has successfully implemented around 270 business reforms out of 372 point Business Reform Action Plan-2017 (BRAP) issued by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industries, Government of India.
“With the result, J&K’s ranking improved from 31st position in 2016 to 22nd position in December 2017,” he said and added that a New Industrial Policy was issued in 2016 to facilitate industrial growth in the State.
Regarding post-GST scenario, the Minister said that Central Scheme for “Budgetary Support” has been notified. He said the State Government has also announced balance payment of 42% under “Budgetary Support Scheme”. “Additionally 100% SGST refund has been agreed to. The State Cabinet has also approved for compensating, with suitable mechanism, 2% CST available to industry in pre-GST regime,” he added.
The Minister said that various closed / sick units of Jammu Kashmir Industries Ltd are being revived. He said Silk Filature and Silk Factory are being established in Bari Brahmana, Jammu with a cost of about Rs 23.50 crore to utilize large cocoon production in Jammu region which otherwise is sold to entrepreneurs from outside the State.
He said proposals worth Rs 48.05 crore of Pashmina Promotion Programme under PMDP have been submitted to Central Wool Development Board for sanction and release of funds. The project, he said, envisages holistic development of the Pashmina Craft with specific interventions at all the stages of pre production, production and post production.
He said to provide market, export exposure exhibition places and Business to Business interaction for Handloom and Handicraft Sector Stakeholder, Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) as a Joint Venture Company between the State Government, India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) and Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) has been approved.
“The ban on funding of J&K Handicraft (S&E) Corporation for foreign exhibitions has been lifted by Government of India after strenuous efforts. After many years, the J&K Handicrafts (S&E) Corporation shall be participating in Handicraft Exhibition at Birmingham early next month,” he said and added that the Government is very soon introducing an e-Commerce platform to link 20000 artisans and weavers of the State.
He said 3 clusters under SFURTI have been sanctioned by Ministry of MSME, GoI including Martand Chain Stitching and Crewl Embroidery Cluster, Anantnag, Sukhnag Embroidery Cluster, Budgam and “Kaushur Maunch”- Beekeeping Development cluster- Srinagar. “8 more clusters have been submitted to Government of India for approval including clusters for Bee Keeping in Bandipora, Samba, Bhaderwah, Ramban, Pattan Embrodery Cluster, Vetista Woolen Hosiery Cluster, Pampore Pashmina and Skill Upgradation Training Cluster, Kathua and manufacturing of essential oils etc, Jammu,” he said.
The Minister said that a full-fledged EDI Campus is being constructed at Bari Brahmana, Jammu with a total cost of Rs 8289.12 lakhs. He said the Institute has started first of its kind six months diploma course in Entrepreneurship Development for the youth of State who want to pursue entrepreneurship as their career.
He said a satellite surveillance system is being put in place at Mining sites besides establishment of Mineral Check Posts with CCTV Surveillance facilities to make the surveillance system vibrant and more effective.
The Minister said that State Government has conveyed its agreement to the Government of India for opening seven additional trade routes across the LoC and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir.
The new routes proposed for trade include Jammu-Sialkot, Chhamb-Jourian to Mirpur, Gurez-Astoor-Gilgit, Jhangar (Nowshera)-Mirpur and Kotli, Turtuk-Khapulu, Kargil-Skardu and Titwal-Chilhan (Across Neelam valley). He said besides two Meeting Points namely Hundurman on Kargil-Skardu route and a suitable point at Turtuk-Khapulu route are proposed by the State Government.
Regarding the cross-LoC trade, the Minister said that construction of infrastructure at both the Trade Facilitation Centres – Chakkan-Da-Bagh, Poonch and Salamabad, Uri with an estimated cost of Rs 10.41 crore and Rs 10.73 Crore respectively under Phase-II has been initiated.
He said the cross LoC trade of goods has been going on for the past nine years and this barter system of trade has recorded an import worth about Rs 3091.14 crore and export worth about Rs 3411.50 crore since inception. He said a list of 21 more tradable items for inclusion in the Agreed List of Tradable items for cross-LoC trade has been submitted to Government of India for taking up with the Government of Pakistan.
He said introduction of banking system for LoC trade has also been taken up with the Government of India.
Earlier, initiating the discussion, Vikar Rasool Wani demanded Industrial Estate in every district including Banihal and also suggested for promotion of local industries especially Kashmiri handloom and handicrafts like paper mashie and shawl bafie etc.
Mubarak Gul pleaded for amendment in Industrial Policy presently in vogue and asked the Government to make the policy people-friendly. He asked the Government for providing financial assistance to the Industrial Unit holders.
Rajeev Jasrotia laid stress on opening of more industrial units in the State and said that resources are available in the State for establishment of Industrial estates and asked the Government for optimum use of the same.
M Y Tarigami demanded opening of more handicraft training centres especially in rural areas to train the rural youth particularly the girls to acquire training in various handmade trades including centuries old tradition of weaving by hand as one of the richest art to earn livelihood.
Shah Mohammad Tantray called for opening more industrial estates in the State especially in rural areas. He said the Poonch district has treasure of minerals and Government needs to explore the avenues to start industries and processing units in the area.
Aijaz Ahmad Khan said the department needs to work on the issue to set up small scale industries and village industries to meet local needs. He said Government should at least facilitate the people to set up industries for which the raw material is available in the State so that they do not need to export the raw material to other States for processing.
Bashir Ahmad Dar said that the Kupwara district has a huge potential of small scale industries and urged the Government to make things easier for the youth so that they can set up new small scale industries.
Ali Mohammad Sagar urged the Government to strengthen and develop the industrialization in order to give employment to the youth of the State. He also urged the Government make the process for availing loans, advances easier for the medium and high level industrial units.
Rajesh Gupta said that Government should make efforts to establish small scale industries to exploit local raw material and urged to further incentivize setting up of industries by providing promotional incentive and fiscal incentives besides making process easier and providing subsidy and one time amnesty in taxes and other related issues.
Syed Farooq Andrabi urged the Government to lay thrust on making industries policy people-friendly and provide incentives to artisans besides strengthening JK Handloom and Handicrafts.
Pawan Kumar Gupta urged Government to incentivize the industrial growth in State and take concrete steps for ease of doing business. He asked the Government to streamline the gypsum industry of the State so that more locals are benefitted from the scheme.
Abdul Rahim Rather asked the Government to establish Industrial Estate in Kokernag constituency. Mohammad Amin Bhat demanded early establishment of Industrial Estate at Vessu Qazigund. Raja Manzoor Ahmad said that peace is prerequisite for the sustenance of this sector.
Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar urged for streamlining the functioning of Geology & Mining Department, Khadi & Village Industries Board, JK Cements, JK Minerals and JK Industries. GM Saroori demanded revocation of SRO-105 and urged the Government to provide industrial estates at Kishtwar and Doda districts to facilitate the establishment of local industries.
RS Pathania urged the Government to focus on development of handloom industry in the State as it has potential to provide employment to a number of youth at local level.
Asgar Ali Karbalai urged the Government to establish Apricot Processing, Drying Plant at Kargil so that the local population is benefitted by getting employment besides sustaining the Apricot production,
Mohammad Akbar Lone urged the Government to revive the industries that has been lying defunct owing to uncertain situation of past few decades. He also urged Government to enhance the honorarium of artisans besides reviving the carpet industry and JK Cement industry in the State.
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