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| Prime Minister's visit and industrialists grouse | | | | On the eve of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's two days visit to Jammu, the aggrieved industrialists have upped their ante against the Central Government's action in withdrawing incentives and concessions to the industrial units in J&K. The representatives of the industrial units, who had earlier called on the UPA Chairperson and Congress President, Sonia Gandhi on her visit to Jammu on April 12, are contemplating to meet the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Sigh to present their case before him and bring home to him that in the absence of incentives not revived the industrialization in this state will receive a great set back as well as lead to further unemployment. They have demanded that the Prime Minister during his Jammu visit should announce revival of the incentive package to the industry in the state. It is now over a month that the incentives being given to the industry in J&K had been withdrawn and the industrialists all over the state are sulking, making strong pleas for continuation of the incentives, presenting a glooming picture of industrialization in the state getting set back, leading to unemployment of many hands, yet no relief has been extended to the industry in this state. It is despite the assurance held by the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad that he would knock at every possible door and impress upon the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, urging them to come to the rescue of distressed industrial sector in the state, yet noting practical has been achieved, which would lesson the stress under which the industrialists are suffering. The Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad had in between visited New Delhi as well as the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had visited Srinagar to inaugurate the prestigious tulip garden there and it is believed that the Chief Minister would have spoken in this regard to Sonia Gandhi as well as to prime Minister, to mitigate the sufferings undergone by industrialists and the threat of economic resection in the state in the wake of many industries becoming sick and getting close down. But their appears to have been no outcome of all this. The industrial development in J&K which had hardly picked up and suffered a big jolt during 20 year long militancy in the state, is again facing an uncertain future as the Centre withdrew incentive package. The Union government had suddenly withdrawn a special tax relief and other incentive package for investors in the industrial sector in J&K. Through this act the Central Excise authority had diluted the commitment made by the government of India in the year 2002 for 10 year long incentives to revive the dying industry in J&K for the economic upliftment and creation of employment avenues through industrialization in the state. This unfortunate and ill advised step on the part of the Union government has not only discouraged future investments in the industrial sector in J&K by the business houses outside the state, but has also put in jeopardy the continuance of existing units and the future of those investors who have already put their stake in J&K. Obviously these industrialists are in a fix whether to continue with the industrial ventures in this state or nor. In 2002 the Central government had, on the persistent demand of the state government, agreed to extend an incentive package for setting up industrial units in J&K, which was already available to North—East States and there was commitment on the part of the union government that the incentives shall remain effective in letter and spirit for a period of 10 years viz between 2002—2012. This bolt from the blue for the industrial units in J&K came at a time when the business organizations had been also demanding a 10 year income tax exemption for companies in J&K, so that mass industrialization could be effected, creating more avenues of employment, solving to some extent the colossal problem of unemployment and ameliorating the economic lot of the people in this state. This was hoped that the Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has good equation with the Prime Minister as well as the UPA Chairperson and who has been constantly asserting for special Central packages for J&K in various fields of economy, will convince and prevail upon the authorities in the union government at all level and see to it that this withdrawal of industrial incentives in retraced. But nothing concrete has still come out. |
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