Expediting Development Projects: Arun Gupta President CCI Jammu Meeting Highlights with Chief Secretary
JAMMU,19-04-2024: Sh. Arun Gupta, President Chamber of Commerce & Industry Jammu met the Chief Secretary Sh. Atal Dulloo, IAS. During interaction Sh. Arun Gupta apprised the Chief Secretary that although the government is trying is level best for the development and beautification of Tawi River banks and creating a freshwater lake. The project needs to be expedited and more such projects are also required to be taken in hand to attract pilgrims/tourists to the city of temples as in the near future the train is going to reach Kashmir Valley.
Further the work on the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex is going on at a snail’s pace. We request that the work on the said project should be expedited and the light and sound system over there should also be started at the earliest.
Sh. Arun Gupta also requested that Patnitop should be developed as a tourist hub for which it is necessary to allow commercial activities over there on the pattern of Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
Sh. Arun Gupta also apprised the Chief Secretary that Jammu has great potential for pilgrims and tourists which has remained untapped till now. Peer panchayal mountainous region of Jammu has vast tourist potential but has been neglected so far. We request that tourists’ potential of this region together with tourists attractive places in the Poonch, and Rajouri districts should be tapped in right earnest. Similarly, religiously important places like Shiv Khori, Mata Vaishno Devi , Sudh Mahadev and tourists’ attractive places like Patni top, and Sanasar should be interconnected by improving roads and erecting picnic spots on the route. Historical natural water lakes like Mansar & Surinsar should be developed on modern lines to attract tourists.
Sh. Arun Gupta also pointed out that since last three decades, the JDA as well as the Housing Board have not established any commercial area or residential colony due to which there is a dearth of both commercial sites as well as residential area. The possibilities of the same may be explored.
The government should formulate a scheme allowing ownership rights of leasehold Industrial land to local sons of soil/entrepreneurs after a period of 25 years of first/ original allotment of land after charging a nominal amount as a conversion fee. He also requested the Chief Secretary that existing allottees of the Warehouse should also be given ownership rights after charging a reasonable premium.
During interaction Sh. Arun Gupta briefed the Chief Secretary that in spite of depositing the prescribed fee by the allottee of Shiv Market Railway Station have not be executed since last more than `15 years the same should be expedited.
He also apprised the Chief Secretary that the lease deeds of some allottees of Sabzi Mandi and Fruit Mandi Narwal have expired the same should be renewed after charging the minimum possible premium. Further some allottees of Bahu Plaza commercial shops have not been given procession and lease deeds executed with them the same should also be expedited.
Sh. Arun Gupta further apprised the Chief Secretary that a Large chunk of land in Jammu has been declared as “Gair Mumkin Khud” by the Revenue Department despite the fact that no water body is passing through these lands. Registration and Construction activities on these lands is barred. There is a need to redefine the “Kism” of this type of land and also a Policy should be formulated to allow the commercial and construction activities on those lands.
The old bus stand building has been declared as unsafe. We request that steps should be taken to repair the said building to avoid any untoward incident. Further, we request that this area of the bus stand should be developed into a new multistory project and the existing shopkeepers/businessmen working in the present building may be rehabilitated on the analogy of rehabilitating the shopkeepers of newly constructed/developed multistory projects so that their livelihood is not affected.
Mr. Arun Gupta also said that the development work of Transport Nagar Narwal which is being carried by Jammu Metropolitan Regional Development Authority through JDA is going on at a very slow pace. We request that the said work should be expedited and more funds be released on need basis to get the development work of Transport Nagar completed without any further delay.
Sh. Arun Gupta also apprised the Chief Secretary that although the Union Government is very much concerned for the development of Jammu on modern lines for which they have provided many projects like flyovers etc. but at the same time we wish to request that the businessmen and general public of those areas should not feel inconvenience and harassed while constructing the expressway and flyovers besides should not hinder the emergency services and impact on daily commuters while constructing flyovers/expressway.
Sh. Arun Gupta welcomed the move of the UT Govt to waive off interest and surcharge on domestic power connections by introducing an amnesty scheme. He also demanded a power tariff amnesty scheme for commercial users(Traders and Industrial Consumers) so that they get relief on this front.
Sh. Arun Gupta also said that the government has announced turnover incentives for the existing Industries for their survival and to become viable but till date no turnover incentives has been given to any Industrial unit. We request that these incentives for the year 2021-22 and 2022-23 be released for the industries without any capping at the earliest.
