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| Govt may roll back industrial power tariff | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Apr 8
ET EXCLUSIVE
To address the prevailing unrest in the industry sector, the government is most likely to waive off the hike in power tariff with effect from April last year even as the Chief Minister has made a strong case for pleading the central government to get the incentives restores.
Taking note of simmering discontent prevailing in the industry sector and to clear the impending issue of employment policy, the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had a brainstorming session with the Economic Advisor Dr Haseeb Drabu.
Sources said that the Chief Minister called in Dr Haseeb Drabu, who is also the Chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, to get the preliminary inputs on the issue from him for later pushing the matter in the cabinet. The meeting which lasted till late in the evening studied the broad contours of the employment policy and took a review of the issues raised by the Industry section, sources told EARLY TIMES.
There is a serious discontent prevailing in the industry sector which is mostly spread over Jammu, Samba and Kathua district on two major issues –hike of power tariff and withdrawal of central excise incentives. While the power tariff hike is being fought at two levels –government and court –the industrials have been running from pillar to post to get the excise incentives restored.
The state government had hiked the industrial power tariff with effect from April 1, 2007. The hike was of the range of 100 to 125 percent depending upon the nature of units. This step has been strongly opposed by the industry sector and their representatives have been intensively lobbying with the government for withdrawal of the order. They have also been fighting this hike in the court and the case is still being dragged on. To compound the worries of the industry sector, the central government recently decided to withdraw the excise incentives which led to unrest.
Since elections are round the corner and keeping this issue pending can disappoint thousands of industrialists, the government is making efforts to seek a middle path. To get the preliminary inputs on the raging issues, the Chief Minister had a meeting with the Economic Advisor Dr Haseeb Darbu.
Sources said that the meeting between Chief Minister and the Economic Advisor was of the view that the government should offer relief to the industry sector. It is reliably learnt that the government may own the power tariff arrears of the industry sector. It is likely that the government may agree to pay these arrears to the Power Development Department on behalf of the industry sector with effect from April 1, 2007 and the further hike may be rolled back.
The Chief Minister, sources said, has also made up a strong case to plead with the central government on withdrawal of the excise incentives to the industry sector in Jammu and Kashmir. In this connection the Chief Minister is likely to meet the Prime Minister and Union Finance Minister.
Sources told EARLY TIMES that the issue of impending employment policy also appeared in the meeting between the Chief Minister and the Economic Advisor. The draft employment policy may be pushed for discussion in the forthcoming cabinet meeting, said the sources. |
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