Jammu, 16-09-2024: Sh. Arun Gupta President, Chamber of Commerce & Industry, accompanied by Sh. Anil Gupta, Sr. Vice President, Sh. Rajeev Gupta, Jr. Vice President, Sh. Manish Gupta, Secretary General and Sh. Rajesh Gupta, Secretary, met the Chief Secretary and apprised him about the problems and issues confronting the trade, industry, and the General public.
Trade, Industry, and Public Grievances Raised as CCI Meets Chief Secretary to Resolve Jammu's Key Challenges
During discussions Sh. Arun Gupta apprised the Chief Secretary that government has failed to create enough additional colonies resulting in Mushroom growth of unapproved and unauthorized colonies and maps of plots in these colonies are approved where as this facility is denied for the plots of housing board which are already approved by the government.
Further he said that the Gandhi Nagar was developed in the year 1955 and since then almost 4 generations are added and they are now separated and have individual portion on the same plot. Some persons have also sold their plots but their cases are pending for want of NOC and the department is not issuing the NOC in these cases.
He demanded that there should be no need to obtain the NOC from the housing board or JDA in respect of the freehold property for the construction of buildings
Sh. Arun Gupta said that for the last three decades, the JDA and the Housing Board have not established any commercial area or residential colony causing dearth of both commercial as well as residential area. The possibilities of the same may be explored.
Sh. Arun Gupta pointed out that the Master plan of Jammu is awaiting long pending progressive reforms. Land has become very scarce and expensive. J& K has the lowest FAR of 1.8 in the country with no provision of purchase of FAR up to 2.4 which is prevalent in other states. Master plan reforms are awaiting clearance from the office of Chief Secretary
Mr. Gupta briefed the Chief Secretary that the work on the development and beautification of River Tawi front project and creating water lake is going on very slow the same need to be expedited. Further The work on the Mubarak Mandi Heritage complex is also going on at snail’s pace, it should be expedited besides the light and sound system be started over there at the earliest.
He also demanded that Patnitop should be developed as a tourist hub by allowing the commercial activities there on the pattern of Gulmarg and Phalgam in Kashmir Valley. The Tourist place of Jammu which have remained untapped till now should be developed on modern lines, which include perpanchal mountains range, tourist attractive places in Poonch & Rajouri districts, religiously important places of Shiv Khori, Sudmahadev, Mata Vaishno Devi and tourists attractive places like Patnitop, Sanasar, Surinsar and Mansar.
During interaction Sh. Gupta pointed out that the period of lease deeds in respect of some allottees in Sabzi Mandi and Fruit Mandi Narwal which has expired be renewed further after charging the minimum possible premium and the allottees of commercial shops in Bahu Plaza have not been given possession and no lease deeds have been executed with them. The same should be expedited further inspite of depositing the prescribed fee the lease deeds in respect of shops at Shiv Market Railway Station have not been executed by JDA since last 15 years. These lease deeds should be executed without any further delay.
He also requested the Chief Secretary that steps should be taken to repair the old bus stand building which has been declared unsafe. This area of the bus stand should be developed into a new multistory project and the existing businessman working in the said building be rehabilitated on the analogy of the shopkeepers of newly constructed multistory project so that their livelihood is not affected.
The development work of Transport Nagar Narwal which is being carried through JDA is going on at a very slow pace. The said work should be expedited and more funds released on need basis to get the work completed without any further delay.
The turnover incentives for the existing Industries for the year 2021-22 and 2022-23 be released for the industries without any capping at the earliest and there should be no negative list for the Industrial products being manufactured by the registered units as per the permanent registration certificate issued by J&K Industries department
Sh. Arun Gupta said that the Govt. should formulate a scheme allowing ownership rights of lease hold industrial land to local sons of the soil’ entrepreneurs after a period of more than 25 years of the first/original allotment of land after charging nominal fee. Ownership rights should be given to the existing warehouse traders after charging reasonable premium.
He requested to announce power amnesty scheme for commercial consumers (Traders & Industrialists) on the pattern of domestic power amnesty scheme announced earlier.
He also said the government is keen to develop new Industries in Jammu and Kashmir, we request that while allotting the land the local sons of the soil should be given preference.
While discussing the issue relating to flour millers Sh. Arun Gupta said that the Production of wheat in our UT is in-sufficient as compared to the consumption of wheat & wheat products. Our flour millers procure wheat from the neighbouring states. They charge 6% tax as mandi fee on the wheat supplied to our flour Millers, whereas this Tax is not applicable to their own flour Millers. By paying this 6% extra Tax, the production cost of the wheat products here becomes costlier than our neighbouring states, making it difficult for our flour millers to compete, as our traders prefer to buy wheat products (Atta, Maida, Suji etc from our neighbouring states at less cost. We request your goodself to take up this matter with the state government of our neighbouring states to resolve this issue or in the alternative some viable incentive be provided to the flour millers of our UT to compensate for their losses.