Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 31: Minister of State for Industries, Commerce, Home and Tourism, Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo today underscored the need for evolving a viable mechanism for procurement of electric key material from local electric industry required for execution of Centrally sponsored Rs 1665 crore ambitious Restructure-Accelerated Power Reforms Development Programme (R-APRDP) part B in the State shortly.
The programme is being implemented for strengthening and up gradation of power distribution and transmission network system in J&K. He said interests of the local electric industry shall have to be protected at all costs in consonance with the State Industrial Policy which provides for prime preference to the local SSI units.
Speaking at a joint meeting of the officers of Industries, Commerce Department and Power Development departments and representatives of the Federation Chamber of Industries (FCI) of Jammu and Kashmir divisions, the Minister said relevant provisions of the State Industrial Policy with regard to price preference to local SSI, including electric industry shall be implemented in letter and spirit while implementing R-APRDP in the State which he said, was imperative for sustenance of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
The meeting was convened to sort out issues of the local electric unit holders viz-a-viz procurement and supply of key material required for execution of R-APRDP.
The Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, A K Mehta, Secretary Industries and Commerce, Farooq Ahmed Faktoo, Director Industries Jammu, Gulzar Ahmed Qureshi, Director, Industry Kashmir, Javed Ahmed and a 12 member team of industrialists led by Anil Suri participated in the meeting.
Mr Kitchloo said that promotion of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in the State was first priority of the Government, adding that marketing support to this sector, including manufacturers of electric equipments and key materials, under the relevant provisions of State Industrial Policy would be ensured as it was necessary to promote and protect the local industry. He said while it was the duty of the Government to protect the genuine interests of the industry, the Unit holders too have an obligation to manufacture quality products that can with stand competition in the open market.
The representatives of the electric industry, in their memorandum presented to the Minister, sought marketing support to the local electric equipment and goods manufacturing SSI Units while implementing the power reforms scheme R-APRDP in the State especially with regard to procurement of Steel Tubular Poles, ACSR Conductors, Power Transformers, PC Poles, cable and switches gear/Hardware.
The Electric manufacturing unit holders from Kashmir included Altaf Ahmed, Waseem Khateeb, Bashir Khan, Bashir Bhat, Ghulam Geelani and Naseer Ahmed whereas, R P Sethi, VK Jain, Vikar Malik and General Secretary, Bari Brahmana Industrial Association, Lalit Mahajan represented unit holders of Jammu.
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