Minister for Industries and Commerce, Chander Parkash Ganga today convened a meeting of senior officers and representatives of various industrial associations to discuss procedural and operational issues related to the establishment of industry in the state.The meeting was attended by Commissioner/Secretary Industries and Commerce, Shailendra Kumar, Director Industries and Commerce Kashmir, Nazim Khan, Director Industries and Commerce Jammu, Rajinder S. Tara, Managing Director SICOP, R L Tickoo and representatives of various industrial associations.Speaking on the scope of further reforms, the Minister said that launch of various financial and infrastructural schemes are underway including START UP INDIA, MUDRA Yojana and Solar panel policy which are expected to be launched soon in the state.For addressing the electricity shortage crisis at Industrial Estate Digiana, the Minister assured that the power infrastructure of the estate shall soon be upgraded on the lines of Industrial Estate Bari Brahmana.The Minister further informed the stakeholders about the Government’s priority to provide employment to the local youth in the industrial estates across the state and raise their skills by converging the employment scheme with that of skill development under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.
On the issue of premium charges on the land to be allotted to the entrepreneurs, Ganga said, “the decision shall be notified by the Government from time to time. The rent of the industrial plots within industrial estates shall be decided by the concerned Corporations through their Board of Directors, or the Government, in case of the Industrial Estates under the administrative control of Directorate of Industries & Commerce”. Government will work towards introducing uniformity among varying rates of different corporations in the state, he further said.For ease of registration and related clearances, the Minister directed the concerned for categorization of beneficiaries. Mechanism should be evolved to give priority in land allotment in favour of projects having more than Rs. 50.00 crore investments in plant and machinery, women entrepreneurs and micro entrepreneurs, he added.The meeting was further apprised on the progress made in land acquisition processes for development of new industrial estates in different districts.Directing the officers from Industries and Commerce Department to adopt entrepreneur friendly approach, Ganga expressed hope that budding entrepreneurs will seek benefits from the bouquet of schemes available under the state and national packages respectively.