ASSOCHAM seeks freight subsidy for industries in J&K; meets MSME Minister

Chairman ASSOCHAM J&K Council Manik Batra presenting memorandum to Union Minister Narayan Tatu Rane.
Chairman ASSOCHAM J&K Council Manik Batra presenting memorandum to Union Minister Narayan Tatu Rane.

Excelsior Correspondent

Jammu, Sept 16: ASSOCHAM delegation comprising senior industry leaders from Jammu and Kashmir today met the Union Minister for MSMEs Narayan tatu Rane here and sought extension of the freight subsidy to the industries of the state.
The delegation led by Manik Batra, Chairman, ASSOCHAM J&K Council urged the Minister that incentives should also be provided to the existing units which want to upgrade their plant and machinery with latest technology.
“J&K is a landlocked union territory where most of the raw material is procured from outside the UT and finished goods are again sent out to different states; this makes the cost of operations high. We requested for a freight subsidy for all industrial units in J&K to make operations more viable and competitive,” said Batra.
ASSOCHAM has been seeking targeted measures for a level playing field, especially for exports from the land-locked states that bear a higher cost of logistics. Given the rising freight rates, support given to the J&K industry would have a direct benefit towards developing and boosting the trade ecosystem. The Chamber has been working closely with MSMEs across the country and bringing forth suggestions of establishing more Dry Ports to enhance trade from J&K, especially if they are equipped with custom clearance facilities.
Rane assured the ASSOCHAM delegation that their suggestions would be considered.
The delegation also included Dr. M A Alim, Co-Chairman, ASSOCHAM J&K Council, Sunil Gupta, and Amit Khajuria, Assistant Director and UT Head, ASSOCHAM J&K, Ladakh.