Suhail Bhat
Srinagar Mar 13: Three years after being allotted plots at the Industrial Estate in Pampore, more than 100 entrepreneurs are still awaiting possession of their land, fuelling concerns that prolonged delays are stalling investment and undermining job creation in Kashmir.
In a collective representation, 117 lessees said they were allotted plots in March 2022 through the Single Window System but are still waiting for possession, which they described as a case of industrial neglect and denial of economic justice. They said the process began after the Government notified industrial estates under the J&K Industrial Policy 2021 through Government Order No. 117-IND of 2021 dated April 19, 2021.
According to the representation, applications were invited in June 2021 for land allotment in a proposed IT Park at Sampora. However, the land was later redesignated as a “Med City”, and the Brick & Tile Factory site in Pampore was identified as a new industrial estate.
The entrepreneurs said 238 applications were received and a processing fee of Rs. 10,000 was collected from each applicant, amounting to Rs. 23.8 lakh.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
Land allotments were finalised in March 2022 and the selected entrepreneurs were asked to pay a premium of Rs. 5 lakh per kanal, an annual rent of Rs. 4,500 plus GST per kanal, three years of advance rent and maintenance charges.
According to the entrepreneurs, 115 unit holders completed all required formalities by March 2023 and lease deeds were executed on March 2, 2023.
Under the lease agreement, they said possession of the land was to be handed over within 15 days of signing the lease deed. “However, more than three years have passed, and SICOP has failed to hand over possession,” the lessees said.
They also alleged that the land continues to remain under the occupation of the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC). “As per government records, JKPCC continues to illegally occupy the IE Pampore land, while SICOP authorities remain passive, allowing the status quo to persist,” the representation read.
The entrepreneurs said the delay had disrupted their business plans and affected potential investment. “This bureaucratic inaction has shattered the business plans of 117 entrepreneurs, who had collectively projected Rs. 400 crore in investments and the creation of 6,000 direct and at least another 5,000 indirect jobs,” they said.
They said repeated representations had been made to officials, including the Managing Director of SICOP, Director Industries Kashmir, Commissioner Secretary of the Industries and Commerce Department, the Chief Secretary, the Minister concerned and the Lieutenant Governor.
The Government later constituted a Brick & Tile Factory Settlement Committee in November 2023 to resolve the issue, directing it to submit recommendations within a month. The committee was reconstituted again in May 2024.
According to the entrepreneurs, meetings of the committee held in June and July 2024 instructed officials of SICOP and JKPCC to hand over possession of the plots to approved entrepreneurs “within the shortest possible time”.
However, the lessees said no progress had been made since August 2024. “Since August 13, 2024 till date, nothing meaningful has happened,” the representation said.
The entrepreneurs have urged the administration to operationalise the industrial estate, evict the occupants and transfer possession of the land to the allottees. “Industrial revival in Kashmir is not merely an economic agenda, it is a social necessity and a political responsibility,” they said, urging the authorities to resolve the issue at the earliest.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
