NC demands white paper on new industries in J&K

Jammu, Mar 1 (PTI) The National Conference on Friday asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to issue a white paper on the number of new industries set up in the Union Territory in the last five years.

Interacting with youth functionaries at the party headquarters here, NC Jammu president Rattan Lal Gupta said the youngsters of Jammu and Kashmir were frustrated due to the policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre.

He also claimed that the number of unemployed people in the Union Territory has crossed the seven lakh mark.

“The tall claims of signing MoUs worth Rs 80,000 crore continue to remain confined to papers. It is time for the administration to issue a white paper revealing how many industries have been established in J&K,” Gupta said in a statement here.

Last year, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said that Jammu and Kashmir would get investments worth Rs 80,000 crore soon as the administration is keen to establish an industrial ecosystem that will help the local youth achieve their dreams.

“The kind of enthusiasm I see and the kind of proposals we are getting, I am sure that in the coming days, we will get investments of Rs 75,000 crore to Rs 80,000 crore. It will provide employment to five lakh people,” Sinha said at a function.

The National Conference leader claimed that due to the “wrong policies” of the government, nobody is coming forward to invest in Jammu and Kashmir as the region continues to be marred by “instability and uncertain environment amid heights of misgovernance”.

The NC leader said even Union Home Minister Amit Shah had committed on the floor of parliament to bring more industries in Jammu and Kashmir to boost the economy and create jobs for the unemployed youth but “the ground situation reveals nothing has been done so far”.

“It was during the National Conference regime that industrial units were established in Samba, Bari Brahamana, Digiana, Kathua, Udhampur and elsewhere. By establishing these industries, thousands of jobs were created and youth adjusted while the job opportunities got reduced to a bare minimum under the incumbent government,” he said.

“It is really an irony of J&K that despite the availability of a professionally qualified army of youth they continue to crave jobs due to the administration’s callous attitude,” he said.

“The already set up industrial sector is on the verge of closure for which the government is wholly and solely responsible as it is pursuing anti-industries policy,” he added.