Talks on between Centre, UT Govt representatives
Tour likely by March-end or start of April
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 6: Besides formally launching industrial investments in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to inaugurate and lay foundation for some developmental projects during his visit to the Union Territory which is expected to take place by March-end or April start.
Official sources told the Excelsior that investment proposals in Jammu and Kashmir might also cross Rs 70,000 crore by the time the Prime Minister formally launches the scheme in the Union Territory.
“The Union Territory has already received investment to the tune of around Rs 70,000 crore including foreign investments from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where a delegation of Jammu and Kashmir headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had visited in the month of January. During the visit, investment proposals worth thousands of crores were signed by Jammu and Kashmir with top business leaders of the UAE,” sources said, adding that more proposals are still being received.
Sources said the Prime Minister is likely to inaugurate and lay foundation stone of some projects in Jammu and Kashmir as few projects are nearing completion while various others are ready for launch after funding from either Central Government or the UT Government.
“The projects are being identified by the administration,” they said, adding the talks in this regard are also on between Centre and UT administration.
Secretaries of some of the Union Ministries are scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir in the next few days to examine the projects before they are cleared for inauguration or launch by the Prime Minister, they added.
However, no date has so far been finalized for visit of Narendra Modi but, according to sources, it was expected to take place either by the end of this month or start of next month depending on schedule of the Prime Minister.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had last month announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch Jammu and Kashmir’s industrial investments shortly.
Sources said the Lieutenant Governor had extended an invitation to the Prime Minister for launch of industrial investments under new Industrial Investments Scheme in the Union Territory which he has accepted and now a date is being worked out.
However, it has reportedly been decided that the Prime Minister will also inaugurate and lay foundation of more projects during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
As far as industrial investments are concerned, sources said the Jammu and Kashmir administration has already received proposals to the tune of Rs 70,000 crore which are increasing and the Prime Minister will formally launch the scheme after which results of the scheme will be visible on ground.
“So far, the people are hearing about investment proposals but after formal launch of the scheme, the investment will be visible on ground and jobs will be generated,” sources said.
The Government of India had launched Industrial Development Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir on January 6, 2021 which was to the tune of Rs 28,400 crore and was expected to generate 4.5 lakh to 5 lakh jobs for the youth in the private sector.
However, the scheme received response much beyond expectations of both Central as well as Union Territory Governments and investment proposals have already reached Rs 70,000 crore while more are in the pipeline while the Government has also revised figures of job generation from 4.5-5 lakh to nearly 8 to 10 lakh.
But, as per the sources, results will be visible on ground only when the scheme finally takes off.
The Government hasn’t confined industrial development to urban areas only but taken it to some of the rural districts as well depending on the requirement and availability of infrastructure, sources said.
The Government had organized Real Estate Summit in Jammu on December 27, 2021 in which 39 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed worth Rs 18,300 crore. A similar Summit is scheduled to be held in Srinagar on May 21 and 22.
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