New Delhi: Months after the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, a Parliamentary Panel has suggested for setting up an exclusive planning board and investment promotion agency in a stipulated time to formulate investment plans to increase investment in the region.
The planning board, according to the panel, will also coordinate with industries from various sectors and countries to attract investments.
The Parliamentary Panel in its 224th report on demands for grants of the Ministry of Home Affairs has suggested for proper physical and social infrastructures like land, capital, storage, roads, railways, air connectivity, communication, power, skilled workforce to attract new industries and entrepreneurs into Jammu and Kashmir
The panel chaired by Congress MP Anand Sharma also suggested boosting handicraft industry in the region.
The report submitted in the Parliament recently assumes significance as the central government after abrogating Article 370 and subsequently bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two UTs has decided to bring an all-round development in the region.
"MHA should take up the crisis in handloom sector with the Finance Ministry and seek exemption under GST law to ensure market access for handloom and handicraft products, which are underperforming owing to competition from cheap imports," the panel said.
It also recommended that the government should introduce skilled craft in the curriculum in order to educate children about the traditional handloom and handicraft heritage of the union territories.
"This will also go a long way in ensuring livelihood in the UT while ensuring the longevity of these handloom and handicraft skills," the panel suggested.
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The committee recommended that the Ministry of Home Affairs along with Jammu and Kashmir Government should engage with Ministry of Civil Aviation and Airport Authority of India to facilitate the operation of international flights from Sheikh Ul-Alam International Airport. The committee also recommended that the infrastructure of Srinagar airport must also be improved.
The committee further said that necessary steps must be taken to keep the airfares for Jammu and Kashmir under a reasonable limit.
The committee also advised that the number of flights from Srinagar to Leh and from Srinagar to Kargil should be increased.
Given the mountainous terrain and the frequency of landslides in the region, the committee recommended that helicopter service may be augmented by putting additional helicopters into service for tourist facilitation.
Referring to Ladakh, the Parliamentary panel took note of Ladakh facing shortage of power during the winter seasons and that the old infrastructure in the power sector needs augmentation.
"...But there has been an allocation of only Rs 54.07 crore for the power sector which is quite low for installation of power plants in the union territory... thus additional funds may be provided to the UT at Revised Estimate (RE) stage to increase its power generation capacity," Parliamentary panel said.
Meanwhile, PDP's Rajya Sabha MP from J&K, Nazir Ahmed Laway hailed the report of the Parliamentary panel.
"The Parliamentary committee has given good suggestions and if these are implemented, then I believe, both J&K and Ladakh will prosper tremendously," said Laway.
He said that J&K used to get special treatment with Article 370 but after it got abrogated, the timely suggestions of the Parliamentary panel are welcomed.
