Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 20: Lalit Mahajan, Co-Chairman, Federation of Industries Jammu, and President, Bari Brahmana Industries Association (BBIA), Jammu, has expressed concern over the Government’s alleged failure in filling the vacant position of Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC).
According to Mahajan, the vacancy created since May 1, 2023 has led to a backlog of approximately 400-500 files of industrial units awaiting the issuance of “Consent to Establish” and “Consent to Operate” for orange and red category projects.
In a statement, Mahajan said that the absence of valid consents has caused significant suffering for both existing industrial units and prospective investors.
Explaining further, Mahajan said, without the necessary consents, prospective investors cannot register under the NCSS 2021 or apply for any fiscal incentives, hindering the industrial development of the region.
“Existing unit holders face similar challenges as they cannot renew licenses, obtain bank limits, or apply for fiscal incentives, all of which require valid Pollution Control Consents,” he said.
He said the impact of this delay in the issuance of consents is far-reaching. According to him, massive investment proposals approved by the Industrial Department and granted land lease by the Industries Department are stuck due to the non-availability of Consent to Establish.
“This, in turn, delays the implementation of projects, causing setbacks to the industrialization process under the New Central Sector Scheme 2021. Such delays may also result in the flight of capital investment to other states with more efficient and time-bound processes,” added Lalit Mahajan.
He urged the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene promptly and appoint a Chairman for the J&K Pollution Control Committee.
In case of further delays in the appointment, Mahajan suggested delegating powers to the Member Secretary of the Committee to clear pending files of industrial units.
This temporary measure, he said, would ensure that the industrial units can proceed with their projects and operations without further impediments.
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