 Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 16: A delegation from the Chamber of Commerce & Industry, led by its President, Arun Gupta, met with the Chief Secretary to address various pressing issues affecting the trade, industry, and general public. The delegation included Anil Gupta, Sr. Vice President, Rajeev Gupta, Jr. Vice President, Manish Gupta, Secretary General, and Rajesh Gupta, Secretary. Arun Gupta highlighted the government's failure to create adequate colonies, leading to the mushrooming of unauthorized areas. He raised concerns over the approval of maps for plots in unapproved colonies while denying the same facility for already approved Housing Board plots. He emphasized that there should be no need to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Housing Board or Jammu Development Authority (JDA) for freehold properties.
He also called attention to the lack of commercial and residential developments by the JDA and Housing Board over the past three decades, stressing the need for new colonies and commercial spaces to address the growing demand.
The delegation urged for reforms in Jammu's Master Plan, which is long overdue. Gupta noted that Jammu & Kashmir has the lowest Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in the country at 1.8, with no provisions to increase it to 2.4, a standard in other states. He requested swift action to approve these reforms.
Gupta called for expedited work on key projects, including the River Tawi beautification and lake creation, as well as the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex. He also pushed for enhanced development of Patnitop as a tourist hub, similar to Gulmarg and Pahalgam in Kashmir Valley. He highlighted the untapped potential of tourist destinations such as the Pir Panjal mountain range, Poonch, Rajouri, Shiv Khori, and other religiously significant places.
The delegation raised several issues regarding industrial land ownership, lease renewals, and incentives. Gupta suggested that ownership rights be granted to local entrepreneurs after 25 years of land allotment. He also proposed the renewal of lease deeds for Sabzi Mandi and Fruit Mandi in Narwal, as well as the completion of lease deeds for commercial shops in Bahu Plaza and Shiv Market Railway Station, which have been pending for years. The slow pace of development in Transport Nagar Narwal was another major concern. The delegation urged for increased funding and quicker execution of work to complete the project without further delay.
The Chamber also called for a power amnesty scheme for traders and industrialists, similar to the one introduced for domestic consumers. Additionally, Gupta pressed for the release of turnover incentives for industries for 2021-22 and 2022-23 without any capping and the removal of the negative list for industrial products manufactured by registered units.
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