Srinagar, May 11 (KNS): Hours after Awami Ittehad Party chief and independent MLA Langate Er Rasheed pointed out that the Industrial Policy-2016 framed during the Governor rule was drafted to erode ‘autonomy’ of the state, the government said that the policy has been repeated with view to attract investment from local as well non-local investor.
Commissioner Secretary Industries and Commerce Shailendra Kumar told KNS that the provisions in the Industrial Policy 2016 for private investment in the industry sector are not new ones.
“In 1963 the state government provided land on lease to the Birla Group to establish Chenab Textile Mills in Kathua. This unit is one of the single largest employers and investors in the state at present. Industrial Policy of 1998 and 2004 have the same provisions for private investment.
Kumar said that in fact every crore investment provides direct employment to 7 to 10 persons on an average.
“Over the years this policy has been repeated with view to attract investment from local as well non-local investor so as to create employment avenues for our skilled and educated unemployed youth. Having limited avenues of employment in the government sector industry and tourism sector provides employment opportunities,” he told KNS.
“This provision is in tune with the J&K Land Grants Act and rules. The policy provisions of 2016 have been vetted by the Law Department.”
Awami Ittehad Party chief and independent MLA Langate Er Rasheed said the New Industrial Policy approved recently by Governor NN Vohra as a direct interference in the constitutional rights of state.
“There is no doubt that the industries are the backbone of any society or state but the policy framed by Governor is simply a step to erode the autonomy of the state and ensure back door entry of non-state subjects into the state.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp ChannelGovernor should have left the policy to the civil government but in a suspicious way he formulated it to serve the interests of New Delhi,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
He said facts and figures reveal that local entrepreneurs in J&K have technical and financial capacity and capability to establish huge industrial states in the state, but the Delhi controlled bureaucracy is always reluctant to facilitate even a small scale industrial unit by the local educated unemployed youth.
“Government has been leaving no stone unturned to demoralize the local investors so as to get an excuse to ensure infiltration of non-state subjects in the industrial sector and thus make special status of the state of no value.” The statement further added that granting land on 90 years lease to non-state subjects is sure to implement the ill designs of New Delhi in J&K.”
Er Rasheed demanded rollback of the unacceptable industrial policy and added that people of the state will fail the nefarious designs of New Delhi.
“GoI has not even been allowing prestigious educational institutions to be established in private sector in J&K and this biased and politically motivated barrier forces thousands of Kashmiris to study in such private institutions outside state who lack very basic infrastructure.”
He added that rather facilitating outside investors to J&K let the government prove its sincerity by allowing local organisations, experts and financially sound aspirants to start private universities, medical colleges and other technical institutes in the state, for which they have been begging from door to door.” (KNS)