J&K Assembly passes grants of PWD, I&C, Mining, Skill Development, Labour & Employment Depts

Jammu, March 15 (IANS) The J&K Assembly on Saturday passed grants amounting to Rs 7,050.86 lakh for the Mining Department, Rs 108, 603.20 lakh for the Industries and Commerce Department, Rs 528, 374.63 lakh for the Public Works Department, Rs 35,344.46 lakh for the Labour and Employment Department and Rs 22,561.03 lakh for the Skill Development Department.

The grants were passed by voice vote after a daylong detailed discussion in the house.

Winding up the discussion on Demands for Grants, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said that currently, the Public Works Department is maintaining an extensive road network of 40,000 km with priority to provide high-quality roads and connectivity to the last unconnected village.

“In 2025-26, we are targeting 4,000 km of road blacktopping under various schemes such as PMGSY, Cities & Towns, CRIF and NABARD, significantly improving travel conditions for the people of J&K,” he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the department receives funding from three main sources; Centrally Sponsored Schemes like the PMGSY and the CRIF, NABARD Loan Assistance and UT Sector Funding for roads and bridges.

“Through PMGSY, which started in 2001, we have successfully connected 2,132 out of 2,140 identified villages, laying down 17,585 km of roads, and constructing 210 bridges at an investment of Rs 10,939 crore. The remaining work will be completed by 2025-26. Under PMGSY Phase II and III, we have upgraded 1,927 km of roads and constructed 9 bridges, while the remaining 505 km of roads and 64 bridges will be completed soon,” he said.

To further strengthen rural connectivity, Choudhary said that the Centre has approved PMGSY-4 (2024-29), which will connect habitations with 250+ population, as per the 2011 Census.

This included special provisions for tribal-majority villages and Aspirational Districts.

He also said that 1,098 projects have been sanctioned under NABARD and 213 projects have already been completed in 2024-25, marking the highest-ever achievement for the department in a single year.

To attract businesses, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the government has introduced 14 policies and schemes that provide financial support, tax benefits and land for industries.

A major initiative, the New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS) 2021, was launched with Rs 28,400 crore to help industries set up and grow. This scheme offers investment incentives, tax relief and interest support, he said, adding that the response has been positive with 971 industrial units approved, bringing in Rs 10,471 crore of investment and creating 51,897 jobs.

Noting that Jammu and Kashmir’s industries are mainly driven by small and medium enterprises which provide the highest employment in the region, he said that there are 7.10 lakh MSMEs in J&K, of which, 4.47 lakh have been registered on the Udyam Portal.

“Supporting MSMEs further will help create more local jobs and boost the economy,” he maintained.

To provide more space for industries, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the government is building 46 new industrial estates in addition to the 64 existing ones, and these will be ready from March 2025 onwards.

He said that land for 15,994 additional industrial plots has also been identified for future development.

On investment in industries, the Deputy Chief Minister said that in 2023-24, investments worth Rs 3,389 crore were made, creating 1,46,317 jobs, which is a 57 per cent increase from the previous year.

He added that in 2024-25, 381 new units have started production, adding Rs 3,887 crore of investment and 10,715 more jobs.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the handloom & handicrafts sector is backbone of J&K’s economy, employing 4.22 lakh artisans who make world famous products like Pashmina shawls, Kashmiri carpets, Basohli paintings, walnut wood carvings, and embroidery items.

“To protect and promote these crafts, the government has introduced QR code-based certification, allowing the buyers to verify the authenticity of J&K’s handicrafts. Ten handicrafts including Pashmina, Kani Shawls and Sozni Embroidery have received the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Eight more crafts are in the pipeline while eleven new crafts are set to be registered in 2025-26,” he said.

To improve governance in the mining sector, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the implementation of an e-auction system has made allocation of mining blocks more transparent and competitive.

Additionally, procedural reforms under the Ease of Doing Business initiative have simplified the process of obtaining mining leases and approvals, making it easier for businesses and entrepreneurs to participate in legal mining activities.

He also noted that environmental compliance remains a top priority with strict regulations in place to mitigate the impact of mining on forests, rivers and biodiversity.

To tackle the issue of illegal mining, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the government has established Multi-Departmental District-Level Task Force Cells, headed by the respective Deputy Commissioners, with District SSPs as key members.

Besides, penalties for illegal mining have been made stringent with first-time offenders being fined ten times the cost of the mineral extracted illegally, along with additional fines and royalties.

Choudhary said that the government has focused on addressing unemployment, which remains a major challenge due to the limited presence of large industries in J&K.

“A new initiative, Mission Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (YUVA), is all set to be launched to support young entrepreneurs and create employment opportunities,” he added.

“In the upcoming financial year, 27,400 new enterprises are expected to be created, generating 85,000 jobs,” he maintained.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the J&K Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board was established to protect the rights of construction workers, ensure their safety and provide financial assistance for their well-being.

“A total of Rs 5,903.25 lakh has been disbursed among 70,323 beneficiaries under various welfare schemes,” he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that one of the major achievements of the Skill Development Department is that 83 trade units, previously affiliated only with the State Council for Vocational Training, are now being recognised by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT).

He said this change makes 1,800 additional students eligible for the National Trade Certificate (NTC), which is valued worldwide. Now, 50 out of 53 Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in J&K are NCVT-affiliated and more than 9,000 ITI trainees have been successfully migrated to the Skill India Digital Hub Portal, he added.

To boost employment opportunities, placement drives were organised in various polytechnics, where 15 companies visited and 261 students received job offers.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that the Government ITI Srinagar has been upgraded to a Model ITI, where existing trades have been modernised and new trades such as Solar Technician (Electrical), Smartphone Technician cum App Tester, and IoT Technician (Smart City) have been introduced to keep pace with evolving industry demands.

“Looking towards the future, the Food Craft Institute Jammu is set to be upgraded to the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), allowing it to offer a three-year degree in Hotel and Hospitality Administration,” he said.

“A new initiative focused on global employment opportunities is also being launched in collaboration with NSDC International to provide specialised training for overseas jobs, while 3,000 women from Self-Help Groups will be trained in entrepreneurship to improve their financial status,” he added.

–IANS

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