The purpose of the meet was to look into the issues faced by the promoters who have been allotted lands and are at different phases of project implementation in the Industrial estates and on the private lands. The target was to strengthen ties between the Government and the investor community, and discuss ways to alleviate challenges in the grounding of investment in J&K.
At the outset, the Director I&C informed the participants that this is the second Directorate level investors Meet being held on the instructions of LG of J&K. “The major target is to hand hold the investor and sort out the issues which they may be facing particularly inter departmental issues”, the Director said.
Dr Arun Manhas appreciated and thanked the investors for fostering the Industrial scenario and bringing more investment into J&K. He further highlighted that in Jammu Division out of 713 applications received for registration on the NCSS portal, 562 applications stand registered and the rest are under process. He further elaborated that 942 eligible claims of CII, CIS and GSTLI for disbursement of incentives were received and 553 stand duly sanctioned. “Incentives amounting to Rs. 205.98 crore stand disbursed” he said and added highlighted that the major units like Saraswati Agro, Dabur India, Nilkamal Storage, Zeiss Pharma, Metal Dreams Industries etc. are amongst some prominent units whose CII incentive stand approved.
Elaborating further, the Director Industries Jammu emphasized that the Government is committed to creating a favourable business environment that attracts both local and national investors. The discussions also focused on key sectors and industries that hold significant potential for economic development and job creation. The issues faced by the promoters while grounding the investment were also discussed thoroughly.
The attention was drawn to the policy framework for the interdepartmental coordination viz Jammu and Kashmir Single window (Industrial Investment and Business Facilitation) Act, 2018 which intends to provide the one stop solution to the issues faced by the promoters of the Industrial Establishments. Director I&C, Jammu emphasised that ease of doing business stands improved and the Department of Industries and Commerce is just a call away.
The discussions were centred on topics such as investment incentives, regulatory reforms, infrastructure and land development, and the promotion of research and development initiatives. The investors expressed their confidence in the Government's commitment to creating a business-friendly environment, which bolsters their confidence in considering strategic investments. The investor community in one voice sought the extension of the registration date and enhancement of the Central package under the New Central sector Scheme.
The investors brought forward the persistent issues faced by them like availability of the power, irregular curtailment of the power, infrastructure development, and development of other amenities. The promoters sought help from the I&C department for early clearances of their Pollution NOC’s. Certain queries about the interpretation of the New Central sector Scheme 2021 were delivered by the team of the officials of Industries and Commerce Department on the spot.
Director Industries, Jammu assured the investors that their feedback and suggestions would be taken into serious consideration, aiming to address any barriers and enhance the ease of doing business. The ongoing efforts of the government aim to streamline processes, provide service delivery through the Single Window system, and foster a culture for skilled workforce.
Joint Directors (M&P) and Development Ms Sonali Arun Gupta, Mr Ashok Choudhary, Deputy Director Planning, Ms Manisha Gupta, Chief Account Officer, Ms Anudeep Kaur along with General Managers of Jammu, Kathua, Samba and other officers of the Industries and Commerce department participated in the meet. Mr. Pankaj Sasan, AD conducted proceedings of the session. The industrialists and the investors appreciated the efforts made by the department of Industries and Commerce.