Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha held a high-level meeting with senior officials to review the status of industrial investment in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner Revenue Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary Forest Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Finance Santosh Dattatreya Vaidya, Principal Secretary Power Development H. Rajesh Prasad, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, and Commissioner/Secretary Industries & Commerce Vikramjit Singh.
The Lt Governor was briefed on the status of investment in different sectors, land allotment, new industrial estates, recent steps taken by the department to fast-track investment, policy initiatives, and promoting startups among youth. He was also informed about the achievements in exports of major products like carpets, papier-mâché, shawls, and chain stitch.
The Lt Governor directed for proactive steps to increase private industrial estates equipped with necessary infrastructure. He emphasized that women-led enterprises will shape the future of J&K and that the government must ensure their increasing presence in the economy. He also directed that more exclusive industrial estates for women entrepreneurs be designated, like the one established in Udhampur.
The Lt Governor underscored that 2023 will be the year of agro-industrial revolution, powered by the Holistic Agriculture Development Plan (HADP) and increased production in agriculture and allied sectors. He directed officials to tap the potential of new cold storage and cold chains to ensure rapid economic growth flows to rural areas of the UT.
In order to scale up further infrastructure, the Lt Governor directed officials to push for greater private investment in inland ports, container depots, and food processing units. He also directed that a mechanism be developed for regular meetings with representatives of old industrial estates to resolve their issues.
Highlighting that GI tagging has offered enormous potential to transform the handicraft sector and boost exports, the Lt Governor said that the authenticity of products like Pashmina must be ensured for export. He also directed the concerned officials to accelerate the development of basic amenities like connectivity, power, and water facilities in the new industrial estates.
The Lt Governor also called for replicating the best models of industrial estates developed in other parts of the country.
