SRINAGAR: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Sunday said the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jammu and Kashmir next week is a significant occasion eagerly anticipated by the people in general and the business community in particular.
In a statement KCCI while thanking the Prime Minister for accepting many of its suggestions in the past said, “We hope that PM Modi will consider suggestions critical for the all-round development of Jammu and Kashmir, especially in light of the alarming rate at which the unemployment rate has been growing. Despite numerous schemes announced by the Lieutenant Governor in recent years, the unemployment rate remains higher than the national average, posing serious challenges that need to be addressed.”
The statement further reads, “KCCI emphasizes the implementation of the Prime Minister’s favoured EASE OF DOING BUSINESS Scheme, as non-adherence to the system has led to a reverse trend, hindering business growth and exacerbating unemployment. The KCCI also invites the Prime Minister’s attention to the challenges faced by the industrial sector in Jammu & Kashmir, emphasizing the need for expedited resolution of infrastructure deficiencies, multiple industrial policies, and lack of support to local industries.”
The KCCI underscored the urgent need to expand and upgrade the Srinagar Airport terminal to accommodate the growing number of travelers. “Additionally, the KCCI draws attention to the power crisis experienced in Jammu & Kashmir, suggesting subsidies for the installation of solar power systems to commercial customers to mitigate power shortages and augment power generation,” it reads.
“The KCCI stresses the creation of robust tourism infrastructure and fast-tracking the 2035 Srinagar Metropolitan Region Master Plan, with top priority given to environmental sustainability in view of climate change and global warming that have resulted in irregular weather cycles in Jammu & Kashmir and looks to the Prime Minister for special focus on IT, innovation, startups, women’s development, horticulture, handicrafts, and other sectors of the economy,” it said.
