Adil Lateef
SRINAGAR, June 9: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that nobody would be allowed to fiddle with the special status of Jammu and Kashmir guaranteed by Indian Constitution.
The Chief Minister said the New Industrial Policy is completely in tune with the Industrial Policy promulgated by the then Chief Minister and National Conference founder, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in year 1975.
“We won’t go here and there. Land lies with the people here and share would be there also. If any outsider wants to invest with the State-subject the majority shares would be of the latter…So you should understand that we all are sitting here (Legislature) by swearing on special status and Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. There is no question of fiddling with the special status,” she said while intervening during the Question Hour in Upper House.
“The Article 370 doesn’t belong to any individual or party. We come here by swearing on it and we, in everything, have to keep this special status in our mind because it’s our inheritance and strength. We all have equal powers as lawmakers. We have to protect this. So I don’t think there is any scope of confusion,” said Mehbooba.
The Chief Minister said nobody should harbor any misconceptions that there is any threat to Jammu and Kashmir’s special status by the Industrial Policy. “We have decided to review the policy to remove any misconceptions in this regard,” she said. She, however, admitted that till date that the number of locals as employees has been less in the industrial units operating in the State.
Mehbooba said that is why the major corporate houses like National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) and various cellular companies operating in Jammu and Kashmir have been asked to adopt at least one ITI or Polytechnic to train the local youth in specific trades so that they get employment locally. “We want to partner with the industry to train people, certify them and offer them jobs,” she added.
The Chief Minister said skill development in traditional arts and crafts of Jammu and Kashmir would be incentivized to keep these treasured crafts alive and create employment avenues for the local youth.”Jammu and Kashmir has to capitalize on its competitive advantage especially in traditional arts and crafts for sustained economic growth and arming the local youth with adequate skills will be the key component of this process,” she added.
Mehbooba said the skill enhancement in heritage arts like shawls, carpets, paper machie, wood carving, Basohli crafts and Ladakhi craftsmanship will be incentivized so that the new generation of the State’s youth is motivated to take up these high-value crafts as a means of livelihood and at the same time contribute towards J&K’s economic growth.
“We have to develop localized skill strategies so that the skills supply matches the skills demand. It is not just the supply of skills which needs to be addressed, but also the demand for skills and the utilization of skills in the local workplaces,” said the Chief Minister.
Mehbooba said the focus of successful case studies should be on coordinated approach to skill development at the local level, involving partners from different sectors including education, training, industry and NGOs to balance supply and demand for skills.
“The Government has asked the Education Department to start part-time skill development courses in traditional crafts in schools and colleges to attract the youth towards distinct heritage arts of the State,” the Chief Minister said and added that the Skill Development Initiative is still in infancy and a lot needs to be done to draw the desired results from this ambitious program.
Mehbooba said during the first meeting of the Governing Council on National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi earlier this month, there was consensus among the participants that skill development has to be area-specific and need-based to make the initiative productive.
“In J&K also we are working out a model of skill development which will be in sync with the local arts and crafts and the market needs,” Chief Minister said and added that the time has come to change the mindset and uplift the skilled people. She said at the same time, the Government shall have to intervene to ensure adequate promotion and marketing facilities for the heritage arts of J&K which are otherwise facing severe pressure and competition. “While we train the youth in traditional crafts, we have to also ensure adequate market facilities to ensure good returns for their products,” she maintained.
Earlier, Congress MLC Ghulam Nabi Monga, had sought the ratio with regard to state-subjects and non-subjects under the New Industrial Policy from Government in his supplementary. The Chief Minister intervened after the MLC was dissatisfied with the answer of Minister Incharge Industries and Commerce Department, Chander Prakash.
According to the Minister, the New Industrial Policy 2015 has been announced vide Government Order number 58-IND of 2016 dated 15-03-2016 and has already been made public via the website of Industries and Commerce.
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