Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, 18th June: In an unprecedented move, the heads of all industries and commerce related associations after a long time have come on a single platform to launch a decisive campaign to save the existing industrial units in the Jammu region.
In this regard, a joint meeting of heads of various industry associations was held here today at the Chamber House in which Arun Gupta, Chairman of ICC Jammu; Rajesh Jain, President of the Federation of Industries; Lalit Mahajan, President of Association of Bari Brahmana Industries and Vijay Aggarwal, President of Association of Industries, Samba participated.
Those present at the meeting discussed and deliberated extensively on two major issues facing industries in the Jammu region; one relating to the industrial sector’s request for exemption from the proposed increase in electricity tariffs and the second relating to the extension of the validity of the provisional registration of industrial units.
Addressing the meeting, JCCI Chairman Arun Gupta expressed serious concerns over JPDCL’s proposed electricity tariff hike. He said the proposed hike would not only hit existing industrial units, but also send the wrong signal to upcoming J&K investors for whom the government is making tireless efforts.
FOIJ President Rajesh Jain said that the Project Apex Authorization Committee, at its meeting on December 8, 2021, had granted an extension of the validity of the provisional registration until June 30, 2022 to units that had not started production within the stipulated time. He said that these industrial units are in the process of starting production, but due to some unavoidable circumstances, including non-sanction of the loan, delay in supplying machines from the supplier, non-issuance of certificate from the PCB, non-penalty of electricity, etc. they are unable to start production until June 30, 2022. He called on the government to take effective measures by extending the validity of the provisional registration of the above-mentioned industrial units for at least one year.
BBIA Chairman Lalit Mahajan said J&K’s industrial units have already been on ventilators since the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that on the one hand, the government is asking multinational companies to invest in JKUT while on the other hand, it is not giving serious thought to the existing industries which are suffering due to multiple factors, especially that of the shortage of electricity that created a crisis situation. . He said the government should develop pro-industry energy policies or else the prime minister’s dream of huge investments in J&K would be defeated.
Vijay Aggarwal, head of the body Samba Industries, said that industrialists are very angered by the government’s anti-existing stance on industries, as its successive measures or initiatives taken over the past two years seem to lack any help and assistance to already existing industry. units in J&K. He said there is most likely disarray in the relevant department, which is evident from the fact that seven principal secretaries have been changed over the past two years. He accused the government of willfully ignoring the concerns of existing industrial units for reasons best known to the UT administration. Many officials of these bodies were also present on the occasion.
