Investments in J&K must have land
investment safeguards, create jobs for local youth: CM Omar Abdullah
Attends CII J&K Annual
Session-2025 at Srinagar
SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY
21: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today here attended the Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII) Jammu & Kashmir Annual Session-2025 titled “AMAZING
J&K: Aspiring For New Growth Goals”.
The event,
organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) J&K Council,
brought together business leaders, industrialists, entrepreneurs, and other
stakeholders to discuss strategic actions to boost J&K’s economic growth
and development, driving the region’s competitiveness and business potential
through a robust and resilient industrial and sustainable entrepreneurship
ecosystem.
Addressing the
session, the Chief Minister emphasized that such interactions are pivotal to
enhancing efficiency, competitiveness, and creating business opportunities for
industries through a range of specialized services and strategic global
linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on
key issues.
The Chief Minister
sought suggestions and valuable insights from the participating entrepreneurs
and other stakeholders that can be incorporated into the upcoming budget of
Jammu and Kashmir for the overall welfare and benefit of the public, as well as
for industries, tourism, and other sectors.
Chief Minister Omar
Abdullah emphasized the need for responsible entrepreneurial practices to
foster an economic ecosystem that ensures sustainability across J&K.
While advocating
for expanding investments in J&K, the Chief Minister underscored that such
investments must be regulated by laws protecting the agricultural land and
having land investment safeguards, like in Himachal Pradesh which has put
reasonable restrictions and at the same time it would ensure jobs for local
youth.
The Chief Minister
noted that Himachal Pradesh has adopted a strict policy in this regard and
stressed the adoption of a similar policy in J&K.
He commended the
resilience of J&K’s industry, acknowledging businesses that have endured
challenging times without solely relying on government subsidies. He stressed
the importance of ensuring long-term business sustainability, proposing a
mechanism to track businesses’ viability beyond ten years.
On the ease of
doing business, the Chief Minister advocated for a genuine single-window clearance
system, addressing concerns over bureaucratic hurdles, particularly in
obtaining clearances from forest and environment boards, which hinder
manufacturing growth.
He encouraged
stakeholders to provide suggestions and feedback for the upcoming budget, reinforcing
the Government’s commitment to an industry-friendly policy framework.
Minister for Food,
Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Satish Sharma, who attended the event as
Guest of Honour, also spoke at the event. He emphasized the need to address past
deficiencies and underscored the importance of promoting sports tourism, health
tourism, and border tourism while leveraging Kashmir’s renowned hospitality
through innovative marketing strategies.
Madhav Singhania,
Joint Managing Director & CEO, JK Cements Limited & Chairman,
Confederation of Indian Industry, Northern Region; Syed Junaid Altaf Group
Executive Director, FIL Industries Pvt. Ltd. & Chairman, CII J&K; Dr.
M. A. Alim Director, Package Design Industries & Vice Chairman CII J&K
were also present on the occasion.