* Urges Govt to probe disparities
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 3: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), will shortly submit a white paper to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the implementation of the New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS), stating that while the Government of India conceived the scheme to promote balanced block-level industrial growth across Jammu & Kashmir, its implementation by the Industries and Commerce Department and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade has resulted in lopsided growth that largely reinforces pre-existing industrial geography.
Copies of the white paper will also be submitted to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the Advisory Committee of the FCIK, chaired by Shahid Kamili and attended by presidents of industrial estate associations, district representatives and sectoral bodies from across the Kashmir Valley. The meeting reviewed the recent rejoinder issued by the Industries and Commerce Department in response to a series of reports in a local daily, highlighting the distress of existing industry and questioning official claims of ease of doing business in Jammu & Kashmir.
The Chamber stated that the Government of India had approved an incentive package of Rs 28,400 crores with a clear objective to attract investment in a balanced manner, extend industrialisation to underserved districts, and create employment opportunities at the block level. The NCSS offered a strong and well-conceived framework of capital incentives, interest support and fiscal assistance capable of transforming the industrial landscape of Jammu & Kashmir.
According to the live dashboard of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, of 2,346 applications received up to 30 September 2024, only 918 registrations were granted while 1,204 applications remain pending. On the claims side, 6,203 claims were received and 3,338 approved, but only 1,886 have been disbursed, indicating that while the scheme has attracted applications, its translation into timely industrial activity on the ground remains limited.
The members sought full public disclosure of the Rs 2,513 crore already disbursed, including the identity of beneficiaries, the quantum received by each unit, and how much of the incentive support has gone to existing enterprises as against new entrants.
The Chamber has urged the Government of Jammu & Kashmir to constitute an independent high-level committee to examine whether the implementation of NCSS has adhered to the original objective of balanced block-level development as envisaged by the Government of India.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
