Reiterating government’s promise to promote industrial sector in the state, Minister for Industries and Commerce Chander Parkash Ganga said that several new industrial units are coming up in the state which will help create ample job opportunities for the local youth.The Minster was speaking after inaugurating upgraded infrastructure of SIDCO Industrial Complex at Ghatti District Kathua in presence of Minister of State Industries and Commerce Asiea Naqash and MLA Kathua Rajeev Jasrotia.The Minister said that to achieve this target, total projects amounting Rs 204.80 crore are under implementation for the area which include environmental works, land cost, road network, drainage, green belt park, water supply, street lights. Besides, the government has separately allocated Rs 366 crore for power development projects in the industrial area and a full fledge grid station will be established here to curb the power issue in the area. He further added that 188 kanals of land has already been allotted to the five units and 43 kanals land has been earmarked to the 14 units.The Minister asserted that present dispensation has laid special focus to develop the state as industrial hub. “Efforts for developing the industrial infrastructure are underway and land bank for the establishment of new units in the state has been created” he informed.
Ganga said that government is making an effort to establish 20 thousand of land bank in the state.Giving special mention to the unemployment issue, the Minister said that 82 crore has been sanctioned under Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and 50 crore is sanctioned under Chief Minister Employment Generation Programme (CMEGP) adding that quota of cases under KVIB has been increased from 1400 to 4200. He appealed to the educated unemployed youth of the state to take the initiative as government has started so many programmes under various schemes to facilitate them so that they can achieve their goals.Later, the Minister along with Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore, MLA Satpal Sharma, DC Samba Sheetal Nanda along with other senior officers of police and local administration paid floral tribute to Constable Kultar Singh Slathia resident of village GurahSlathia, who was martyred in a terrorist attack at Alam-e-Kashmir SheikhulAlam Shrine at ChrarSharieff in Budgam district. He was injured after unknown terrorists attacked a police post guarding the revered shrine.