Resentment among industrialists as issues remain unresolved
Advisory Committee fails to meet during past one & half year
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 2: Notwithstanding the fact that it has crucial role to play in the implementation of the State Industrial Policy and giving necessary fillip to the industrial sector by timely overcoming the obstacles, Industrial Advisory Committee has not met during the past nearly one and half year due to lack of interest on the part of Industries and Commerce Department.
Due to inordinate delay in holding meeting(s) of this vital body the problems being confronted by the industrialists in Jammu as well as Kashmir divisions have also remained unresolved and they have started gathering an impression that industrial development is no more a priority in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the Government order, the mandate of the Industrial Advisory Committee is to suggest measures for ease of doing business and creation of an enabling environment for the development of industry in the State. Moreover, it is also supposed to discuss various demands raised by the Industrial Associations from time to time.
“The Industrial Advisory Committee shall meet once in three months and Administrative Secretary of Industries and Commerce Department being Member Secretary of the Committee shall initiate steps so as to ensure timely meetings of the Committee”, read the Governor OrderNo.1003-GAD of 2015 dated July 24, 2015.
However, the Committee has not met during the past nearly one and half year in clear violation of the Government Order of 2015, official sources told EXCELSIOR while disclosing that the last meeting of the Industrial Advisory Committee was convened in the month of February 2018 under the chairpersonship of the then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti when several issues being faced by the industrialists were deliberated upon.
In the last meeting, several directions were issued to the Industries and Commerce Department for mitigating the sufferings of the industrialists on war footing basis. The most important direction was pertaining to providing round the clock power supply to the Industrial Estates by upgrading the infrastructure and grant of incentives. However, follow-up action on the directions could not be ascertained due to inordinate delay in holding of meeting(s) of the Advisory Committee.
“When the Advisory Committee was reconstituted vide Government Order No.1225-dated August 3, 2018 and Governor was made its Chairman industrialists started feeling that not only the periodic meetings of the Committee will be ensured by the Industries and Commerce Department even their pending grievances would receive due attention”, sources said. However, their hopes were dashed as no meeting of the Advisory Committee has been convened till date.
The failure of the Industries and Commerce Department to convene meeting(s) of the Advisory Committee is notwithstanding the fact that Federation of Industries Jammu, Federation of Chamber of Industries Kashmir, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jammu and Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashmir have been regularly coming up with the statements highlighting the issues being faced by them.
Expressing anguish over inordinate delay in holding meeting of the Industrial Advisory Committee, Chairman of Federation of Industries Jammu Lalit Mahajan said, “it seems this vital sector is no priority for the Governor’s administration otherwise there was no justification behind ignoring this vital platform”.
“Neither industrial sector has received required impetus nor employment opportunities could be generated for unemployed youth till date and non-availability of major incentives to local industries is the main reason behind this”, he said, adding “these issues are required to be deliberated upon in the Advisory Committee meetings for finding solution”.
Stating that Government of India should open major industrial units relating to defence products, sugar mills and fertilizer units in order to generate employment opportunities, Mahajan said, “the Industrial Advisory Committee is required to make a formal request to the Union Government in this regard”.
“It is a matter of concern for the industrialists that no new incentive has been kept in the 2019-20 Budget by the Governor’s administration”, he further said and hoped that Governor would take personal interest in holding periodic meetings of the Advisory Committee.
Similarly, Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir President Mohammad Ashraf Mir expressed serious concern over denial of opportunity to the industrialists to raise their grievances before the Industrial Advisory Committee.
“We have so many issues to highlight like non-cooperation of the J&K Pollution Control Board in the establishment of new units, non-reimbursement of GST and inordinate delay in release of payments by the Power Development Department for the works executed on the requests of the Government”, he said, adding “we were also assured of price-preference and purchase preference by the Government but no follow-up action was ensured”.
He stressed that Industrial Advisory Committee should meet at least twice in a year so as to take holistic view of the grievances of the industrialists.
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