*Only 6 DDCs respond to directions for identification of land
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 19: Notwithstanding the much hype over giving required impetus to industrialization in Jammu and Kashmir under new Industrial Policy-2016, the key provisions of the vision document have failed to receive due attention of the State Government despite lapse of over seven months and formal orders on various aspects of the policy have yet not been issued by the Industries and Commerce Department.
The new Industrial Policy was issued vide Order No.58-IND of 2016 dated March 15, 2016 following approval by the State Administrative Council headed by Governor N N Vohra and much hype was created by the administration by claiming in the official statements that this policy will ensure industrial development in all the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir with focus on employment generation.
Moreover, it was also stated with much excitement that several provisions have been kept in the policy to ensure faster development of new industrial estates and more efficient maintenance and management of the existing estates. However, several key provisions of the new Industrial Policy have failed to receive due attention of the Government despite lapse of over seven months and they are still confined to the official files only, sources told EXCELSIOR.
The new Industrial Policy clearly states: With a view to ensure faster development of new industrial estates and more efficient management of the existing estates, all the existing industrial estates with the District Industries Centres (DICs), which function under the administrative control of respective Directorates of Industries, will be transferred to Jammu and Kashmir Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited (SICOP) and Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation (SIDCO).
“However, formal orders in this regard have not been issued by the Department of Industries and Commerce till date”, sources regretted, adding “this is notwithstanding the fact that keeping in view this provision of the new policy the DICs have lost interest in maintenance and management of the existing industrial estates and SICOP and SIDCO cannot initiate even single step to implement this provision in the absence of formal orders from the top brass of the Industries and Commerce Department”.
The objective behind this provision was to give a boost to the development of Micro and Small Scale Industry while simultaneously leaving the DICs free to focus and concentrate on hand holding the entrepreneurs from conception of the project to the registration and subsequently to operation and continuous production while clearing incentives under the State and Central Packages. “In the absence of formal transfer orders, this objective could not be achieved despite lapse of over seven months”, sources regretted.
“Similar is the fate of another important provision of the new Industrial Policy vis-à-vis creation of land bank of 20,000 kanals over a period of five years and approval of annual targets keeping in view the availability and expected allotment of funds”, sources informed.
Keeping this provision in mind, the Administrative Secretary of Industries and Commerce Department had written to all the District Development Commissioners (DDCs) of the State for identification of State or other lands in their respective districts for land bank. “By way of this communication they (DDCs) had explicitly been told to give preference to State or private land over forest land on the ground that utilization of forest land for industrial purpose involves clearances from various quarters, which is a very lengthy and time-consuming process”, sources said.
However, only six District Development Commissioners have paid serious attention towards the communication of Industries and Commerce Department till date, sources said while disclosing that in Reasi district land identified for new industrial estate has already been transferred to the Industries and Commerce Department while as process for the same in respect of Samba district is in advance stage.
Similarly, the Deputy Commissioners of Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri and Pulwama have identified land for new industrial estates and process has been initiated for transfer to the Industries and Commerce Department. “The rest of the DDCs have yet not conveyed to the Industries and Commerce Department that they have identified land in their respective districts”, sources informed.
“The dilly-dallying approach of majority of the DDCs in identification of land is notwithstanding the fact that creation of land bank of 20,000 kanals is the key provision of the new Industrial Policy”, sources said while disclosing that soon after opening of Civil Secretariat at Jammu next month the top brass of the Industries and Commerce Department will assess the latest status of identification of land by the DDCs and pass on necessary directions accordingly so that land bank is created as expeditiously as possible.
“There are numerous other provisions which have either not received due attention of different agencies or await formal orders from the Industries and Commerce Department for being implemented on ground”, sources said.
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