During a very fruitful and interactive meeting with Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Prime Minister Office, at his residence at Kushak Road, New Delhi, a delegation of CII J&K State Council Members, being led by Sheikh Imran, Chairman, CII J&K, shared the pressing issue of industry in J&K. Sheikh Imran shared the losses that the industry has been facing in all regions of the state due to the ongoing unrest. He briefed the Minister on the demands and support that industry is seeking from the Central Government in these troubled times.
In the memorandum submitted to Dr Singh, CII listed various macro-level matters related to the thrust sectors of the state like tourism, agriculture, horticulture, power and connectivity. The main objective of the meeting was to seek the support of Central Government in extending the J&K Package II, beyond 2017. It is important to note that the package which includes which includes Central Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme, Central Interest Subsidy Scheme, and Central Comprehensive Insurance Subsidy Scheme is applicable only till 2017, CII has demanded that considering recent natural calamities and unrest, the same should be extended further to 2025. In other demands, CII also requested Dr Singh to impress upon Central Government about the major issue of T&D losses incurred by the state. Currently the T&D loss of the state stands at 58%. CII proposed building an effective mechanism to reduce the losses.
CII members also called for a conducive and growth oriented tourism policy for the state.
“We wish to have a Tourism Policy, that will ensure that tourism, which is the backbone industry to the economy of our state gets boosted by exploiting the tourism potential of the State through appropriate central policy interventions for tourism industry, showcasing of an exemplary public private partnership model to the potential investors, etc. We have also suggested that Central incentive scheme such as Interest subsidy, Capital Investment Subsidy, Heli-Aviation Incentive etc should be given for new Tourism Projects and for the upgradation of the existing projects. Pilgrimage tourism is one of the main sources of economy in J&K. In order to boost it, CII proposes a direct bullet train from New Delhi to Katra via Udhampur / Jammu.” shared Sheikh Imran.
He further added that the industry in J&K needs marketing intervention schemes and extended export incentives on J&K state products for exports from J&K Clearance centers. Financial lending, borrowing and repayment should be customized as per the local needs of industry, keeping in view the geographical & political challenges for small medium and large projects.
Dr Singh heard the plight of industrialists from the state and assured his full support. He asked CII to submit a detailed concept note on the matters for a very strong and assertive perusal with the concerned authorities. He welcomed the CII members and appreciated the role that CII is playing for the betterment of industry in the state, by raising the macro-level issues that impact the over-all eco-system of the state industry. He further shared with the members that the Central Government is currently very receptive towards the demands of J&K and would seek more such interactions and follow-ups on the issues that are pertinent and timely. He also suggested more and more inclusion of youth of J&K in the industrial decision making process. He appreciated the young generation of J&K, that comes up with various innovative and entrepreneurial ideas.
Mr Gourav Mahajan, Head, CII J&K State Office & Mr Rajesh Sharma, Managing Director, SRA Foods & Beverages were also present during the meeting of the delegation with Dr Singh.
3 December 2016
New Delhi