Revised Industrial Policy Being Finalized
Srinagar : Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary Tuesday informed the Legislative Assembly that the Government has initiated measures to rationalize manpower across industrial corporations, address encroachment on SIDCO land and finalize the revised Industrial Policy for Jammu & Kashmir.
Replying to a question raised by MLA Chander Prakash Ganga, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that SICOP has 591 surplus staff following the closure/cessation of its Marketing Wing and Raw Material Depots. He said the surplus employees are presently engaged on 89-day arrangements. He informed the House that J&K SIDCO is facing a shortage of regular manpower, particularly due to retirements. To meet the identified requirements, surplus staff from SICOP, along with personnel from J&K Cements Limited, have been deployed in SIDCO. Wherever required, skilled manpower is also being engaged through outsourcing to ensure smooth functioning of the Corporation, he added.
The Deputy Chief Minister further informed that 30 surplus employees from other Corporations have been deployed/utilized to augment manpower in Corporations facing shortages. The deployments have been made against identified manpower requirements for efficient functioning, he maintained. On the issue of encroachment on SIDCO land at Balol, the Deputy Chief Minister said that an anti-encroachment drive had been conducted, resulting in the retrieval of 45 kanals of encroached land. Regarding the remaining encroached land, he said the matter has been taken up with the District Administration through communications dated June 16, 2026 and August 29, 2026. He added that the Department is pursuing the matter with the District Administration and making all requisite efforts for early retrieval of the remaining land.
On the Government’s proposal to introduce a revised Industrial Policy addressing manpower, industrial land, infrastructure and investment promotion, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the draft revised Industrial Policy was placed in the public domain for suggestions and comments from stakeholders. He informed the House that a committee under the chairmanship of the Administrative Secretary, Finance Department, was constituted by the General Administration Department to examine and consider suggestions/comments received from various stakeholders. The committee has since held several rounds of meetings with stakeholders to deliberate upon their suggestions and incorporate appropriate inputs in the draft policy. The Deputy Chief Minister stated that the revised Industrial Policy is presently at the final stage of consideration and is expected to be notified upon completion of the requisite formalities.
