New Industrial Policy For J & K On The Anvil
A new industrial policy for Jammu and Kashmir is on the anvil, according to Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah. Senior officers of the state government will hold detailed discussions with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to finalise the new industrial policy, he added.
Outlining the thrust of the new policy, Abdullah said that apart from focusing on the promotion of tourism in the state, it would also stress on the development of the states electronics industry. The policy would also give special attention to the promotion of religious tourism in the Ladakh and Jammu region, he added.
Earlier, addressing industrialists at a meeting organised by the CII here on Sunday night, the Chief Minister called upon them to invest in the Jammu region. He admitted that besides the law and order problem, the Kashmir valley was still facing the problem of power shortage and was hence not ready for new industries. But he added that the power position would improve in the next couple of years.
The Chief Minister mentioned that a new industrial estate was coming up in the Udhampur region. He was also hopeful that the work on the railway line upto Udhampur would be completed soon.
Abdullah admitted that industrialists in Jammu and Kashmir had to face a lot of problems due to the lingering trouble in the border state because of terrorism. He did not mince words in blaming Pakistan for aiding and abetting terrorism in the state. However, he expressed optimism that a new phase of mutual understanding and cooperation between India and Pakistan would start soon. He remarked: The positive statements made by Nawaz Sharif after the recent polls in Pakistan have generated a lot of hope in the minds of the people of both countries.
The Chief Minister also did not mince words in criticising New Delhi for being indifferent to the hopes and aspirations of the people of the border state over the years. He also lashed out at the endemic corruption prevailing in the country and remarked: Corruption is a tragedy. We have to fight against it at all levels.
Earlier, former CII president Gurpreet Singh spoke at length about the plethora of problems faced by the industrialists who had set up their units in J&K particularly the valley during the past seven years.