Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Wednesday said those who set up industries in Jammu and Kashmir will have to provide employment to local youth in the region.
Crediting previous National Conference governments for industrial development in Jammu and Kashmir, he said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is committed to industrial development in Jammu and Kashmir but that will not be at the cost of the people.
“Those (investors) who will set up industries in Jammu and Kashmir will have to provide employment to local youth in the region,” Choudhary said while replying to supplementary questions during the Question Hour in the Assembly here.
He said the Omar government is committed to ensuring no injustice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is the commitment of the Omar Abdullah government. The industrial estates, whether in Kashmir, Jammu, Gangyal, or any other place, were set up during National Conference rule. The Chief Minister is committed to industrial development in Jammu and Kashmir but that will not be at the cost of the people,” he said.
Replying to a question from BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia, the DyCM said, “It is the endeavour of this government that we will not allow the lands of the people of J&K to be given to outsiders. Whatever is right will be done.”
He said the local youth have a right to jobs in industries.
The DyCM said soon after the formation of the government, CM held meetings with various stakeholders in the industrial sector. “It is a fact that the local industry faced losses during the past 10 years. Nothing was done for the employment of local youth. We are committed to changing that”.
Choudhary said the key highlights of the Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Policy 2021-30 aim to bolster industrial growth across various sectors, focusing on manufacturing, IT, agriculture, food processing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, real estate, herbal and medicinal plants, among other sectors notified by the Jammu and Kashmir government.
He said the incentives under the policy include a 100 per cent subsidy for the purchase and installation of DG sets (up to Rs 45 lakh), exemption of stamp duty and court fees on land transactions in government industrial estates.
Choudhary said a dedicated entrepreneur and skill development fund will be established to nurture local youth with entrepreneurial skills, facilitating sustained industrial growth in the Union Territory.
“This initiative will include training and skill development programmes conducted by the J&K Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) and other premier institutes nationwide,” he added.
On the ease of doing business, the Deputy Chief Minister said Jammu & Kashmir has undertaken significant initiatives to enhance the ease of doing business through the single-window setup under the Industrial Investments and Business Facilitation Act 2018.
“These reforms aim to streamline the regulatory framework, accelerate the grant of licences, permissions, approvals, and simplify procedural requirements,” he said.
In response to a question, DyCM informed the House that about 5000 kanal of land has been identified for establishment of industrial estates in different districts of Kashmir while intends for 9661 kanal of land has been submitted to the Revenue department in Jammu division.
He said that the intends of 14956. 15 kanal land have been placed for establishment of Industrial estates in different districts of Jammu region while 5532.19 kanal land has been transferred during the past two years in Kashmir.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that focus sectors for Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Policy 2021-30 included Manufacturing, IT and ITeS, Agriculture and Food Processing, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure and Real Estate, Skill Development, Tourism and Hospitality, Film Tourism, Horticulture and Post-Harvest Management, Renewable Energy, Handloom and Handicrafts and Agriculture.
He said that package of incentives, including up to 100 percent subsidy components, turnover incentives, entrepreneurship and skill development fund, ease of doing business, investment promotion agency for promotion of investment and exports besides establishing industrial grievance forum are among various salient features of Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Policy 2021-30.
He said any business enterprise having 51 percent stake held by women entrepreneurs shall qualify to apply for allotment in the designated industrial estate.
“The department has also granted short term/disposal permits to various executing agencies of National Highway Authority of India, NHIDCL, IRCON, the Ring Road, PWD (R&B), PMGSY, Irrigation and Flood Control, Airport Authority of India and others engaged in developments projects of National/UT importance during the past 2 years,” he said.
The DyCM said the department has granted 36 limestone mining leases, 24 mineral gypsum mining leases besides 202 mining leases of e-auctioned minor mineral blocks. Besides, it has reserved/granted 8 mining leases in favour of J&K Public Sector Undertakings (J&K Mineral Limited and J&K PCC limited), 6 mining leases on private land, 2 quarry licenses on private land, one cluster quarry on state land and 23 quarry licenses in favour of government projects for providing key construction material to various developmental projects across J&K.