Existing industrial units on verge of closure in JK UT: FOIJ

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 2: Federation of Industries Jammu (FOIJ) has claimed that existing industrial units in Jammu region are on the verge of closure under present regime.
An urgent meeting of the Federation of Industries, Jammu was held today under the chairmanship of Lalit Mahajan, Chairman FOIJ in presence of Rajesh Jain, Deepak Dhawan, Jatinder Aul Co-Chairman, Virendra Jain-secretary general, Viraaj Malhotra- convenor and other Executive Committee members to discuss the callous attitude of the JKUT Administration towards the local working existing units with the majority of micro, small and medium enterprises.
While appreciating the efforts of Govt of India working under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah with the grant of Rs 28400 crores package of incentives for the setting up of new Industrial units in J&K, FOIJ chairman said it will help in survival, revival and good health of existing working Industrial units with the majority of Micro/Small industry will give a good signal to the prospective investors from outside the Union Territory of J & K.
During the course of discussions the members present in the meeting raised serious concern that the existing Industrial sector is facing hardship and about to collapse due to withdrawl of price/purchase preference in Govt purchases in post UT regime non-availability of Fiscal Incentives at par with the New Industrial Units as per the package of Incentives 2021 as the ratio of quantum of Incentives for existing Industry with the majority of Micro/ Small sector in relation to employment is much lower v/s package of incentive for the new industry as notified by Ministry of Industries and Commerce Govt of India. if the problems of the existing industry are not resolved on priority basis , they will be forced to close down, thereby rendering lakhs of workers jobless which neither the Govt nor the entrepreneurs can afford.
“The JK UT Administration seems to be having casual approach towards the existing as well as New Industrial Units being established under the Central Package of Incentives as it has been observed that Administrative Secretaries have been frequently transferred or given additional charge in a span of last two years resulting little attention has been given to resolve the pending issues of the existing Industrial units as well as in respect of development of new Industrial Estates for providing land in time bound manner to the prospective investors and we fear that the prospective Investors may delay in the setting up of their Units or abandon their projects due to non availability of developed land in the proposed Notified Indsutrial areas as no developled Land execpt in Ghati Industrial Areas in Jammu Region is available for setting up of the units and if the problem of existing units not solved on priority basis the existing unit holders also opt for the closure of their Units resulting a serious setback to the Govt of India Industrialization programme in J&K.
FOIJ requested the Union Home MInister Amit Shah and Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha and Arun Mehta Chief Secretary of JK UT for their kind intervention to resolve the matter on urgent basis.