Over 16,000 kanals of land allotted to the Industries and Commerce Department for the development of industrial estates in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir a few years ago have been found unsuitable for various reasons and have been returned to the government with a request to provide alternate and appropriate land patches as soon as possible.
Daily Excelsior quoting official sources which said that the PDP-BJP Coalition Government in Jammu and Kashmir resolved to establish more industrial estates in the 2018-19 fiscal year, particularly in districts that were trailing behind in industrialization while having tremendous potential.
As a result, the Deputy Commissioners were asked to select State land after a thorough examination in order to construct an adequate land bank for the industrial estates. Finally, through the Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation (JKSIDCO) and the J&K Small Scale Industries Development Corporation, a total of 104 land patches were handed to the Industries and Commerce Department for the development of industrial estates (SICOP). On the government’s orders, the SIDCO and SICOP recently began surveying land patches in order to begin groundwork.
To everyone’s surprise, it was found during the survey by SIDCO and SICOP engineers that 70% of the transferred land could not be used in any form for the building of industrial parks. Engineers found hilly regions with an 80% gradient, forest areas, Ghair Mumkin Khads, and other features in 47 patches, according to sources. As a result, the situation was brought to the attention of the Industries and Commerce Department, which oversees SIDCO and SICOP administratively.
According to the Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department, a total of 16,000 kanals of unsuitable land in these 47 patches has been returned to the government, and a request has been made for allotment of alternate patches so that industrial estates can have sufficient land bank, sources added. It has also been conveyed to the government that due to hilly tracts and steep gradients, the cost of developing land in these 47 patches is higher than in other areas, sources added.
“It has further been requested to the Government that while identifying alternate land patches the concerned authorities of the Revenue Department particularly the Deputy Commissioners should keep in mind that the land should be free from all encumbrances so that Industries and Commerce Department doesn’t face any difficulty”, sources said, adding “though the process of identifying the alternate land has already been set into motion yet no time-frame can be specified for the completion of task”.
Had serious attention been paid by the Deputy Commissioners while identifying the land in the year 2018-19, SIDCO and SICOP would have developed the land patches as part of the industrial estates till date, they said, adding the PDP-BJP Government was more interested in creating the hype about allotment of such a huge chunk of land for the industrial estates instead of ensuring detailed and careful land identification exercise.
How can any Deputy Commissioner recommend forest area, Ghair Mumkin Khad and hilly tracts for development of industrial estates remains a million dollar question, sources said, adding “even those who had obtained the approval from the Government for transfer of identified land to the Industries and Commerce Department should have examined the physical status of the identified land well in time”.
An officer from the Industries and Commerce Department acknowledged that 16,000 kanals of land have been deemed inappropriate for the building of industrial estates, according to Excelsior. “The subject is being vigorously pursued with all interested authorities so that sufficient land bank remains in all industrial estates, without which much-needed stimulus to industrialization cannot be delivered.”
The Chenab Times News Desk