BJP Govt’s pledge to make J&K industrial hub never progressed beyond signing MoUs: Rattan Lal Gupta   

Says Govt failed to revitalize J&K’s ailing Industrial Sector

JAMMU July 12^th: Rattan Lal Gupta, Provincial President JKNC on Friday strongly criticized the Central/ J&K Government for unending stagnation in industrial development in Jammu and Kashmir.

The senior NC leader was addressing the meeting of JKNC’s Traders and Industries Wing at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan Jammu. The meeting was presided over by party’s Traders and Industries Wing’s Chairman, Vikram Puri.

In a scathing attack on the leadership of the party in power, Rattan Lal Gupta accused   Home Minister Amit Shah of backtracking on their promises made on August 5, 2019 to make J&K new hub of industries. He said that contrary to the promises made by the HM Shah, the government at the Centre/ J&K has drastically failed to advance the industrial development of Jammu and Kashmir beyond the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth thousands of crores, leading to growing frustration among the local populace and business community as the sodden attitude of the aforesaid leadership has resulted in lack of tangible progress in the region. 

Rattan Lal Gupta also raised the issue of ending the age-old practice of Darbar Move leading to colossal losses of business communities of both Kashmir and Jammu provinces as the government has no proposal to compensate for this gigantic loss of the traders, which has broken the back bone of the business community especially in Jammu. 

The Provincial President asserted said that only National Conference has the solution and can provide the much sought after succor to the people of J&K because this political outfits knows the pulse of the people and also the problems and issues which they are confronting after the inception of ‘indifferent’ dispensation in the country in 2014, which has increased people’s woes manifold times instead of alleviating the same.

 “Our people deserve better than empty promises and stagnant progress”, he maintained while demanding immediate steps to stop industry in J&K from becoming extinct.

Earlier at the outset of the meeting, Vikram Puri highlighted the issues being faced by the traders and Industrial community. He categorically raised the issue of denial of incentives and GST refunds to industrialists, which has led the existing industry towards a dead end as most of these units are on the verge of closure. “It is unfortunate that BJP Government has no major relief or no plan in offing to bail out small scale industries”, he said adding that business community in Jammu and Kashmir is now looking towards NC leadership to come to power and do the needful to end the prevailing morass and give a new lease of life to industrialists and traders of the region.

Reminding the Government of its promise to promote one industrial product in each district, Sheikh Bashir, Provincial Secretary JK NC asked the government to fulfill this promise to save the dying industry, giving a new ray of hope to the industrialistsin Districts level.

Bimla Luthra former MLA, Laxmi Dutta and Satwant Kour Dogra Provincial President Women wing, senior NC Leaders, accused the government of doing nothing for the women entrepreneurs. She said that the leaders of the party in power should take a step to address the aforesaid issue as their rhetoric adeptness is of no use for the people of J&K.

Pardeep Bali Provincial Secretary Jammu, Vijay Lochan Chairman SC Cell, Rakesh Singh Raka Vice President Central Zone senior NC leaders asserted that the Assembly elections are offing in Jammu and Kashmir and the business community must come forward and support the National Conference in the ensuing polls with an aim to stop the step motherly treatment being faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir under the present dispensation.

On this occasion Some young traders/ small scale industrialists joined National Conference there names as under:- Mr Anuj Sharma, Mr Himanshu Sabarwal and Mr Kannav Gupta.

Among those who were present include: Ramparshotam Sharma District President Udhampur Rural, Jatin Bhat, Ashanand Joint Secretary District Jammu Urban and others.