SRINAGAR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting of the Apex Committee in New Delhi on Friday to review the implementation of the Industrial Development Scheme for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, with discussions expected to focus on enhancing industrial incentives, attracting fresh investments and accelerating economic growth.
Official sources said the meeting will be attended by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and the Industries and Commerce Department of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Apex Committee will undertake a comprehensive review of the New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS), launched in April 2021 to promote industrialisation, generate employment and encourage private sector investment across Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said a key issue expected to feature in the deliberations is the expansion of the financial incentive package under the scheme. With the existing allocation reportedly committed following the registration of a large number of industrial units, the Centre is likely to consider increasing the incentive outlay to facilitate additional investment proposals.
The committee is also expected to examine pending applications from new industrial units awaiting approval under the scheme. Officials believe that expanding the incentive framework would provide a fresh impetus to industrial development, improve the investment climate and create more employment opportunities for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
The outcome of the meeting is being keenly awaited by industrial stakeholders, entrepreneurs and investors, who are expecting key policy decisions aimed at strengthening the Union Territory’s industrial ecosystem and sustaining long-term economic growth. (KNC)
