 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 11: Deepak Gupta, Convener, Industries Cell, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jammu & Kashmir, met Dr. Arun Manhas, Director Industries, Jammu, and discussed the concerns confronting existing industrial units in Jammu & Kashmir. Gupta highlighted the growing sense of uncertainty among existing entrepreneurs and stressed that the industrial policy of J&K must not only attract new investment but also protect, sustain and strengthen the industries that have already invested in the Union Territory.
Gupta said that existing industries should be provided operational incentives at par with new industrial units, particularly when these units have already created employment, invested their own capital and established manufacturing infrastructure. He said that the survival of the existing industrial base is critical for preserving employment and maintaining the industrial ecosystem developed over decades.
He further advocated a special revival and survival package of Rs 3,000 crore for existing industries. According to Gupta, the amount should be viewed as an investment in protecting an already-created industrial ecosystem rather than merely as an expenditure. He pointed out that, according to the assessment presented by the Industries Cell, the infrastructure created by existing industries and industrial estates represents a massive sunk investment, and recreating comparable infrastructure today could cost the government many times more. He referred to the approximately ?5,000 crore already spent on industrial infrastructure to facilitate investments of around ?10,000 crore, while the New Central Sector Scheme for Industrial Development of J&K carries a total financial outlay of ?28,400 crore up to 2037. The Centre itself has stated that the scheme was designed both to attract new investment and nurture existing industries.
Gupta also raised serious concerns regarding ESI medical facilities for industrial workers, particularly women employees. He demanded that the ESIC Model Hospital at Bari Brahmana have a permanent head/Medical Superintendent and adequate permanent medical and paramedical staff. He said that women working in industrial estates, especially during pregnancy, should not face difficulties in accessing timely specialist care.
Official information shows that J&K has one directly run ESIC hospital-the 50-bedded ESIC Model Hospital at Bari Brahmana. The latest Government of India information states that the ESI scheme currently covers approximately 1,83,119 insured persons and around 7 lakh beneficiaries across J&K, with eight ESIS dispensaries, including four in Jammu Division.
The most important issue discussed was the Contractor Card barrier faced by local MSMEs. Gupta said that J&K-based MSMEs registered with the Directorate of Industries and Commerce, operating on allotted industrial land with a proper manufacturing/industrial setup, should be permitted to participate in government tenders floated through JKTenders by departments such as PWD, PHE, Housing & Urban Development, Tourism and Sports. |
