Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 21: In a testimony of slack approach towards the important announcements made by none else than the Chief Minister, a panel of experts headed by Government’s Economic Advisor is all set to miss the deadline for framing of comprehensive Trade Policy, which was otherwise planned in order to address all the issues concerning development of trade, commerce and industry in the State.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, while chairing 24th Industrial Advisory Committee meeting on October 24, 2013, had fixed three months time frame for formulation of Trade Policy for the State by a committee of experts constituted in this regard.
In the meeting, Mr Omar had categorically stated that committee headed by Economic Advisor to the Government, Jaleel Ahmed Khan and comprising officers of Finance, Planning and Industries and Commerce Departments should come up with a comprehensive proposal taking care of all the issues relating to industrialization, job creation and generation of wide-ranging economic activities in the industries, handicrafts, trade and commerce sectors.
According to the sources, the issue of framing comprehensive Trade Policy basically figured in the 23rd Industrial Advisory Committee meeting wherein a committee headed by Economic Advisor to the Government was framed to accomplish the task.
Thereafter, the committee held some meetings with different stakeholders both in Jammu and Srinagar to receive inputs on different aspects and formulated a draft note, which was then circulated to various concerned departments and stakeholders for eliciting their comments, sources said. “Since no substantial progress could be made on framing comprehensive Trade Policy, the Chief Minister, while chairing 24th Industrial Advisory Committee issued explicit directions to the committee for accomplishing the task within a period of three months positively( by January 24, 2014)”, they added.
However, the committee is all set to miss the deadline fixed by none else than the Chief Minister as comments from various departments have not been received till date, sources informed, adding “this clearly indicates that not only the committee but several other Government departments are least bothered about translating the announcement made by the Chief Minister into reality within specified time-frame”.
When contacted, Commissioner/Secretary Industries and Commerce Department, Farooq Ahmed Factoo confirmed that no substantial progress has been made on framing comprehensive Trade Policy, adding “we are yet to receive comments from various trade bodies and others on certain points furnished to them”.
“We will send reminders to all the stakeholders very shortly with the request to furnish comments as early as possible”, he said in response to a question.
President Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu, Y V Sharma, when contacted, said, “it is a fact that draft note was prepared after some rounds of consultations but whether Government departments have furnished the comments is not known to us”, adding “the issue was raised by the Chamber and Commerce in the 23rd Industrial Advisory Committee meeting following which a committee headed by Economic Advisor was framed”.
President, Associated Chamber of Traders Federation (ACTF), Yashpal Gupta, when approached, fanned ignorance about any draft note prepared by the committee. “We have not been approached by any of the Government appointed committee on formulating comprehensive Trade Policy”, he said. Mr Gupta, however, stressed that such a policy was the need of the hour.
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