SRINAGAR: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) on Tuesday expressed its displeasure to the General Administrative Department (GAD) for sidelining industry-related departments by delaying the timely replacement of officers particularly the General Managers in District Industries Centres (DICs) of Kashmir Division.
In a statement, FCIK said that most of DICs remained without full-time General Managers from time to time during the past three years resulting in great inconvenience to both existing and prospective entrepreneurs, disrupting their normal work and process.
“Records revealed that around eight out of ten District Industries Centres (DICs) in the valley had been rendered headless from time to time” stated FCIK adding that neither the pleas made by the concerned department nor the protests of the organisation through media moved the concerned to fill the vacant positions.
“It has been observed that whenever a General Manager was transferred for some other assignment, the position in DIC would be left unfilled,” FCIK said.
Adding further it said, among others, the two most important DICs of Budgam and Pulwama were currently without full-time General Managers leaving enterprises of the organised industrial estates of Sanat Nagar, Rangreth, Ompora, Budgam, Lassipora, Pulwama, Chatpora,Wuyan, Sempora etc apart from hundreds of units established in unorganized sector in the lurch.
“While the Industrial Growth Centre Lassipora was declared as South Asia’s largest apple grading-storage Centre recently, hundreds of enterprises housed in the estate continued to suffer on account of a full-time General Manager”, regretted FCIK.
“Besides General Managers, the industry in Kashmir also suffered on account of frequent transfer of the Directors of I&C Kashmir during past three years” stated FCIK.
“While the incumbent Director of I&C Jammu was holding the post since December 2018, the Kashmir Division witnessed the transfer of about six directors during the same period” observed FCIK, adding that currently I&C Kashmir was being looked after by an officer of another department as its additional assignment.
FCIK stated that GAD was primarily responsible for the placement of necessary staff in all industries and hoped that GAD would take the necessary steps for ensuring permanent placements in departments.
“In case the bureaucratic hurdles and deficiencies in necessary staff continued without any check and accountability, the same can prove detrimental for the ambitious plan,” observed FCIK
