JK Govt contemplating to set up Industrial Estates in each constituency

           Jammu, March 12 (Scoop News) – Minister for Industries & Commerce,  S.S. Slathia today said that plots will be provided to entrepreneurs expeditiously in the industrial estates through single window system of which Director of Industries would be the Chairman in each division. He said registration for new industrial units will be given within a week.

            Wrapping up discussion on the Grants of Industries Department,  Slathia said Government is contemplating to set up Industrial estate in each constituency to give fillip to industrial activities in the State.

            Listing achievements of his Department, he said the employees of JK Minerals for the first time are getting their wages monthly while reminding that these employees had not received their salaries for 16 month, when he took over the charge of the Ministry.

            He said the production of Kalakote Coal Mine has risen to 30,000 MT as against 14,000 MTs registering sale of Rs 10.50 crore as against Rs 2 crore. He s aid, the workers in the project are getting wages regularly, adding that earlier they used to be on strike off and on.

            The Minister said Government has gone for global tendering to ensure systematic extraction of sapphire at Padder. He said the step has been initiated to ensure competitive bidding at a large scale with utmost transparency.

             Slathia said the Government for the first time facilitated securing licenses for the handicrafts of the State, adding that the same were earlier exported through outsider exporters only.

            He said Government has also augmented Handicrafts Centres to hone the skills of craftsmen across the State and the monthly stipend of each trainee enhanced from Rs 500- 700 from Rs 100- 200.

            In Handloom sector, the Minister said, the Government has embarked on a mega plan of modernizing 40,000 looms involving Rs 100 crore.

            The Minister said two Chemical Mineral Testing Laboratories have been set up one each in Jammu and Ompora Budgam. He said revenue (royalty) has gone up to Rs 33 crore as against Rs 10 crore this fiscal during 2007-08.

             Slathia said government has also earmarked Rs 2.64 crore to modernize Government Silk Factory at Rajbagh. The Bemina Woollen Mill also be revived fully, he added.

            The Minister said a unit of JK Cements Ltd. will come up in Samba at a cost of Rs 20  crore. This, he said will help in meeting cement demands locally, besides opening up employment avenues for local youth. He said 606 employees of various Industrial Corporations have availed Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS), adding that Rs 16 crore has been earmarked for 204 such employees this year also.

             Slathia said turnover of  cross LoC Trade has increased to Rs 68 crore during the first 10 months of current fiscal as against Rs 52 crore during 2007-08. He said telephone facility has been extended to Trade Facilitation Centre Chakkan-da-Bagh and Slamabad, while the issue of banking facility has been taken up with Central Government

            Later, the House passed the demand of grants amounting to Rs 31837.78 lakhs for meeting the expenditure of the departments under the charge of the Minister for the year 2011-12 by voice vote. The departments for which the grants were passed included Village and Small Industries, Non-Ferrous Mining and Metallurgical Industries, Iron and Steel Industries and loans to industries and Minerals.

            Earlier,  M. Y. Tarigami,  A. R. Veeri, Dr. Shafi Ahmad Wani, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain,  Nizam-ud-Din Bhat,  Abdul Haq Khan, Ch. Zulfikar Ali,  Lal Chand,  Rafiq Hussain Khan and  Ashwani Sharma had moved their cut motions which they withdrew after hearing the exhaustive and convincing reply of the Minister.

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