PM’s Modi special focus on Kashmir bearing fruit, says Union Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special focus on Kashmir is bearing fruits as peace is visible on the ground, Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary said on Wednesday.

He said this while chairing a meeting with business and industry stakeholders to discuss various issues related to them at the Banquet Hall here.

“Prime Minister Modi has a special focus on Kashmir due to which peace is visible on the ground,” the minister of state for finance said.

Chaudhary said it is due to Modi’s vision that central ministers are meeting stakeholders by visiting them at their doorsteps as part of the government’s public outreach programme in Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the prime minister’s endeavour is that those in power must visit people and stakeholders alike so that the ground situation could be obtained.

The minister said peace in Kashmir is a prerequisite to every other activity.

“And for all this, we need your support, our officers in administration are also there as the government of India is committed to establish peace in Kashmir and it is moving in the right direction in this regard,” Chaudhary told representatives of trade associations.

Earlier, several heads and representatives of business and industry from Kashmir put forth their issues and grievances before the minister, who gave a patient hearing to them.

The trade leaders spoke in length about different issues related to the business and industry in the Kashmir Valley.

They talked about downgraded accounts of business units, revival of businesses, inclusion of existing business units in New Industrial Policy, compensation for business losses, subsidies, etc. Besides, taxation matters and interest subvention, among other issues, were also put forth before the minister, officials said.

Responding to them, the minister assured that all their genuine issues and grievances flagged before him would be definitely taken up with the departments concerned for redressal.

Later, Chaudhary also chaired a meeting of officers from different departments and discussed various programmes and policies of the central government and their implementation.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industries Anupriya Singh Patel said the initiative will make the life of people of the Union Territory more comfortable and take development to new heights under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Patel visited Ganderbal district under the third phase of the programme.

About 70 ministers are visiting Jammu and Kashmir to have first-hand appraisal of the development needs pertaining to their departments so that the planning is done accordingly. They are listening to the grievances of people and their demands, she said.

The Union MoS said the central government is committed to provide better employment avenues to the local youth of Jammu and Kashmir and in this regard, four new industries are coming up in Ganderbal in central Kashmir.
On day one, the minister visited an old industrial estate in Ganderbal where more than 90 units are established and she was briefed about its functioning.

DIC, Ganderbal informed her that four new industrial estates are coming up in the district at Barsoo, Kohistan Colony, Pehlipora and Arigoripora for which the allotment process has already been initiated.

The minister also interacted with the association of small scale industrial unit holders who apprised her about the issues being faced by various unit holders and demanded upgradation of canal road, drainage and effluent treatment plant, sustained marketability and other issues for increasing the estate’s scope.

Patel said the purpose of visiting the estate was to take first-hand appraisal about its functioning and asserted that all possible facilities will be provided to the unit holders in order to ensure their growth.

She also apprised them of the steps being taken up by the department for implementation of various subsidy schemes.

Later, the minister inaugurated a senior citizen home of 25-bed facility at Wayil, which is being established in a rented accommodation under ‘Atal VayoAbhyuday Yojana’ by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and would be run by Hope Disability Centre.

She also distributed mobility aids among the beneficiaries.