SRINAGAR: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary informed the House that approximately 5000 kanal of land has been identified for the establishment of industrial estates in various districts of Kashmir, while intends for 9661 kanal of land have been submitted to the Revenue Department in Jammu.
Responding to a question raised by Rajiv Jasrotia in the Legislative Assembly, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that intends for 14,956.15 kanal of land have been placed for industrial estate development in Jammu, while 5,532.19 kanal has been transferred in Kashmir over the past two years.
Unidentified Body Discovered in Srinagar, Probe Underway
Five new railway surveys underway in J&K, others remain stalled: GoI
JK Govt: No Plans to Reduce JKSSB Application Fee
Highlighting the key sectors under the Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Policy 2021-30, he listed Manufacturing, IT and ITeS, Agriculture and Food Processing, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, Infrastructure and Real Estate, Skill Development, Tourism and Hospitality, Film Tourism, Horticulture and Post-Harvest Management, Renewable Energy, Handloom and Handicrafts, and Agriculture as focus areas.
He further stated that the policy offers a range of incentives, including up to 100 per cent subsidy components, turnover incentives, an entrepreneurship and skill development fund, and ease of doing business initiatives. Additionally, an investment promotion agency has been established to boost investments and exports, alongside an industrial grievance forum.
Various departments, including Health & Drug Controller, Agriculture, Pollution Control Board, Public Health Engineering, Labour, Forest, Power Development Department, Fire, High Courts, Housing & Urban Development, and Industries & Commerce, are implementing reforms aimed at ensuring a more streamlined regulatory framework. These reforms cover areas such as labour policies, property registration, a single-window clearance system, and a central inspection framework under the District-Level Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP).
The Deputy Chief Minister said that several policy initiatives have been introduced to make Jammu and Kashmir an investor-friendly destination. These include the New Central Sector Scheme 2021, J&K Industrial Policy 2021-30, J&K Industrial Land Allotment Policy, J&K Private Industrial Estate Development Policy, Policy for Promotion of Foreign Investment in Industrial Sector in J&K 2022, J&K Single Window Rules 2021, Turnover Incentive Scheme 2021, J&K Wool Processing, Handloom and Handicraft Policy 2020, Financial Support Scheme for Cooperatives/Self Help Groups 2020, Credit Card Scheme for Artisans and Weavers, Karkhandar Scheme for Craft Sector Development 2021, Export Subsidy Scheme 2021, Revised Education Scheme 2022 for Artisans/Weavers, and J&K Start-Up Policy 2024-27.
He also noted that special provisions have been made in the land allotment evaluation criteria to provide higher merit to women entrepreneurs. In this regard, the government has sanctioned an exclusive industrial estate for women on 329 kanal out of 1,347 kanal of land at Seen Thakran, Udhampur, under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP). Enterprises where women hold a 51 percent stake will be eligible for land allotment in this designated estate.
Additionally, the department has issued short-term and disposal permits to various agencies, including the National Highway Authority of India, NHIDCL, IRCON, the Ring Road project, PWD (R&B), PMGSY, Irrigation and Flood Control, and the Airport Authority of India, to facilitate ongoing development projects across Jammu and Kashmir.
In the mining sector, the government has granted 36 limestone mining leases, 24 mineral gypsum mining leases, and 202 minor mineral block leases through e-auction. Additionally, eight mining leases have been reserved for J&K Public Sector Undertakings (J&K Mineral Limited and J&K PCC Limited), six mining leases and two quarry licenses on private land, one cluster quarry on state land, and 23 quarry licenses for government projects supplying key construction materials. (GNS)