*‘Mafia’ creating hurdles in industrial promotion
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 6: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the Government about laying much thrust on promotion and development of industries in big way, around 50% plots in the existing industrial estates have been lying un-used during the past many years as the ‘mafia’ succeeded in getting allotments just for the purpose of investment and not for establishing industrial units.
Despite being aware of this fact, the Government has not yet taken any serious step to ensure optimum use of such plots by getting the allotments cancelled and allotted to aspiring entrepreneurs.
According to the official data available with EXCELSIOR, in Jammu region there are a total of 20 industrial estates spread over an area of 15074 kanal and 12 marlas. Of these industrial estates, 12 fall under Directorate of Industries and Commerce, five under the control of J&K SICOP and three fall in the jurisdiction of J&K SIDCO.
In these industrial estates, plots have been allotted by these three agencies of the Government for establishment of more than 2000 industrial units to give impetus to industrialization in the State. However, despite lapse of many years, only 1089 units are functional in these estates against a total of 2050 registered with Directorate of Industries and Commerce, J&K SIDCO and J&K SICOP.
“The remaining plots could not be put to optimum use till date as 261 units are presently closed and remaining 700 are under implementation stage during the past quite long time”, official sources said, adding “this is mainly because the allottees of nearly 1000 industrial plots managed the allotments only for the investment purpose and not for establishing units and contributing in industrialization”.
As far as industrial estates under Directorate of Industries and Commerce are concerned, a total of 419 units were registered with the managing agency but only 244 are actually making productions and 175 plots have been lying un-used since long. Similarly, out of 726 industrial units having obtained permission from J&K SIDCO, only 328 units are functional and plots in respect of 398 allotments have not been put to any use till date.
About industrial estates under J&K SICOP, sources said that only 517 units are functional and plots allotted to 388 persons have yet not been put to any productive use till date. “During the past many years, the official data is reflecting 261 units as closed and 700 as under implementation but the Government never tried to either compel the allottees to establish units within prescribed time-limit or make optimum use of the same by cancelling the existing allotments and making fresh allotments to the aspiring entrepreneurs”, sources added.
They informed that Industrial Policy specifically prescribes the period in which the allottees of the plots in the Industrial Estates have to take effective steps to make use of the same for establishment of the industrial units. Moreover, the Policy states that if the premises remain unused for an aggregate period of 180 days, the competent authority can cancel the allotment.
“However, the Government is not ready to exercise this power because majority of the un-used plots are in the possession of mafia”, sources said, adding “the prevailing situation clearly indicates that Government has virtually surrendered before the mafia, which is creating road-block in the plan of promotion and development of industries in the State”.
They further said that there was no justification behind giving one after another timeline to the allottees to come up with the industrial units as all the three agencies having control over the existing industrial estates have long waiting list of aspiring entrepreneurs clamoring for allotment of plots to establish units.
Disclosing that 1089 functional industrial units have been generating employment for 50,668 persons, sources said, “had the remaining plots been put to optimum use the employment generating figures could have gone beyond one lakh and industrial promotion would have received required fillip”.
“All this clearly indicates that Government doesn’t believe in translating into reality its tall claims about giving required impetus to the promotion and development of industries and statements in this regard are issued just for the publicity purpose”, sources said.
Pointing towards exercise initiated by the Government for establishment of more industrial estates in different parts of the State, sources said, “the Government must first initiate steps for optimum use of the plots lying un-used in the existing industrial estates in order to give strong message to the mafia otherwise the people with vested interests will spread their tentacles in upcoming estates and scuttle the move of the Government towards industrialization”.
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