‘Will take J&K export from Rs 1400 cr to Rs 5000 cr’; Requests GoI for setting up of dry port in J&K with customs clearance facility
Jammu, Feb 20: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha Saturday participated in the 6th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, through virtual mode.
During the meeting, the Lt Governor highlighted major reformative measures taken by the UT Governor, besides apprising the meeting about the new trajectory that the UT has undertaken in the past 17 months.
At the outset, the Lt Governor, on behalf of the people of Jammu & Kashmir, expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his unstinting support in accelerating the pace of development in the UT.
“After 5th August 2019, Jammu & Kashmir got new opportunities of socio-economic development that were not there for many decades. J&K is passing through a period of transition for development, peace and prosperity. Today, among the people of Jammu & Kashmir, there is an outlook of hopeful optimism,” remarked the Lt Governor.
While making suggestions for giving further push to the developmental process in Jammu and Kashmir, the Lt Governor requested the Government of India for considering the demand for setting up of Dry Port in J&K with a customs clearance facility to increase the trade within and outside the Country.
To give a boost to tourism and trade in J&K, the Lt Governor requested that Srinagar and Jammu be opened to regular commercial International flights.
The Lt Governor observed that the UT Government is aiming to take J&K export worth from Rs 1400 cr to Rs 5000 cr in the next two years. Air Cargo capacity for J&K needs to be enhanced to enable easy transportation of perishable items, he added.
He requested for simplification of certain permissions under Water Act and Air Act, 1981 along with clearances and reduction of period from 4 months to 30 days so that clearances can be obtained easily and in a short time for setting up industrial units.
The Lt Governor suggested for setting up Regional Office of MoEF in J&K for speedy disposal of Environment Clearances cases for larger projects.
He also suggested that the Government of India may consider specific product-based funding programs. National Saffron Mission has succeeded because of its focus on one product, he added.
Infrastructural projects need to be devised considering the needs of 20-25 years from now. New road construction technology like cold mix plant and use of pre-fabricated bridges could be promoted to reduce the construction time-period, suggested the Lt Governor.
Speaking on the Economic reforms, the Lt Governor observed that the existing industrial landscape is being transformed into futuristic, profitable and sustainable ecosystem, leading to livelihood generation, better education, skill development and better quality of life.
“From job creation to entrepreneurship, we are going to make J&K a model of Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Government is working on promoting institutional readiness, increasing entrepreneurship and attracting investments. The multiplier effect of industrial transformation will be felt across the entire length and breadth of the UT”, said the Lt Governor.
New Industrial Development Scheme, with an outlay of Rs.28,400 Crore, has been approved by the Government of India for encouraging investment in manufacturing and service sectors in J&K, which will help in stepping up economic development in Jammu & Kashmir, the Lt Governor affirmed.
Underscoring the important interventions made by the UT Government for execution for the languishing projects, the Lt Governor said that JKIDFC, a model which NITI Aayog has commended as a best practice, has approved 2367 projects worth Rs. 7125.49 crore so far.
On health sector, the Lt Governor observed that J&K Government is spending 2.86 % of its budget in the Health sector which is more than the national average. Upgradation of health infrastructure and improving healthcare services has led to an overall improvement in the key health indicators in J&K, he added.
Speaking on priority sectors, the Lt Governor observed that J&K is heavily relied on agriculture sector and tourism sector. We plan to introduce automation IOTs, cloud computing to create smart factories to supplement existing trades, imaging sensors in orchards, smart logistics for improved margins and smart manufacturing for increased revenue making opportunities, the Lt Governor maintained.
On Education sector, the Lt Governor said that from this session, education will be imparted in all 5 official languages, besides Bridge course is being initiated to meet the study loss due to COVID pandemic.
Translation of local folklores and those of other states for cultural exchange and understanding is being done, he added.
The Lt Governor also spoke on AB-PMJAY SEHAT Scheme, J&K’s performance in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), G.I. tagging of Kashmiri Saffron, promotion of Basmati Rice, High Density Plantation and Aspirational Blocks in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Lt Governor also thanked the Prime Minister for announcing a new Gas Pipeline Project in Budget 2021 for the development of J&K.
With the efforts of Central Government under the guidance and leadership of Prime Minister, the country has been transformed into hub of Start-ups and innovation. I strive to bring the same development in J&K, the Lt Governor maintained.
