Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called upon the national industrial fraternity to come and rediscover Jammu and Kashmir which offers great opportunities in the investment sector.
The Chief Minister was addressing at National Conference and Annual Session 2009, organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), here today. He was the Chief Guest during the evening Session of the Conference that dwelt on the topic – Turning crisis into Opportunity: The Role of Governance and Reform.
Abdullah shared the dais with President, CII, K. V. Kamath and Director General, CII, Chandrajit Banerjee. The Political Advisor to the Chief Minister, Devender Singh Rana and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai were also present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister said Jammu and Kashmir ideally represents the theme of the topic given what the State has gone through in the last two decades. He requested the India Inc. to invest in micro, small and medium enterprises for which there is ample scope, adding that they should not be misled by reports that the State is facing infrastructural constraints.
Calling upon the investors from all over the country to establish industry in the State, the Chief Minister assured them a transparent and red-tape-free administration. “Come and set up industry in J&K and leave reforms, good governance and transparent administration to me”, the Chief Minister told the gathering in his usual eloquent manner.
Asking investors to take a cue from the country’s example of 15 years ago when the industrial sector faced stiff challenges, the Chief Minister praised the pace of growth it has witnessed over the years. He said the people of the State have proved that the State is back on rails by coming out to vote in large numbers in the Assembly elections. “I seek your partnership in ensuring all-round progress and economic growth for my people”, he said.
The Chief Minister said crisis always throw up opportunities provided there is a strong will and determination to extricate from it, referring to the three women exemplar awardees, who have converted the challenges into gainful opportunities.
Earlier, the Chief Minister also gave away awards to entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves in various industrial fields. The awards were given by the Chief Minister in three categories of Women Exemplar Award, Corporate Wellness Award and CII President’s Award.