Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 19: With a view to give boost to the local industry, Minister for Industries and Commerce, Sajad Ahmed Kichloo today ordered strict enforcement of price and purchase preference by all the Government Departments and State owned Public Sector Undertakings and autonomous bodies to the local industries including power equipment industry.
Speaking at a high level meeting convened here to take stock of the demands of electric industrial unit holders, Kichloo enjoined to make purchases of notified key materials manufactured by local industries through J&K SICOP. He said marketing support is imperative for promoting local industry in view of the State’s topographical and locational disadvantage.
The Commissioner/ Secretary Industries and Commerce, Shant Manu, about 20 representatives of Federation Chambers of Industries of both Jammu and Kashmir divisions including co-chairman, Federation Chamber of Industries Jammu, Anil Suri, Secretary General Lalit Mahajan, President, FCI, Kashmir Zahoor Ahmed Bhat, Senior Vice President, FCIK, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Vice President, FCIK, Javed Ahmed Bhat were present in the meeting.
Kichloo impressed upon the unit holders to focus on quality parameters of the products to withstand stiff market competitions. “It is our responsibility to explore all the possible marketing channels for industrial unit holders but they will have to produce quality and cost effective products to capture its share from the open market as Government support only is not enough to make these self sustained ventures”, Kichloo added.
The FCI representatives, while highlighting their demands, said that about 240 electric units under DIC scheme with about Rs. 800 crore investment have come up in the State which is next to the Cement Industry, adding that the Procurement and Material Management Wing (PMMW) of the Power Development Department (PDD), which procures products from the unit holds, need to be reactivated.
Apart from price preference, the representatives of FCI demanded VAT refund from SICOP, extension of VAT remission beyond 31st March, 2013, infrastructure improvement in industrial estates, ownership rights to industrial plot holders, transport subsidy for raw material and Income Tax exemption. The FCI, Kashmir also demanded to associate the local industry with RAPDRP for procuring tubular polls, ACSR conductors, transforms, cables and switchgear etc.
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