Srinagar, Feb 13: The Valley industrial fraternity has hailed chief minister Omar Abdullah for raising industry-related issues with union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee ahead of the union budget.
 Terming the meeting as timely, president Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) who talked to Greater Kashmir on phone from Delhi hailed the effort of the chief minister in bringing “our problems to the notice of finance minister.” In the run up to the union budget, chief minister Omar Abdullah today urged union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to announce substantial financial support for the J&K industry.
 The meeting among others was attended from the state side by: minister of industry and commerce S S Slathia, principal secretary industry and commerce Anil Goswami, commissioner secretary finance, Sudanshu Panday.
 From the industrial fraternity present at the meeting were representatives of several industrial chambers from J&K including president FCIK Shakeel Qalandar.
 Qalandar said: “It was a timely meeting in which the CM raised the issues of industry, as the union government is preparing its budget which will be presented in a few days,” he said.
 Qalandar said the FCIK delegation comprising its vice president Zahoor Ahmad Bhat and secretary general Afaq Qadiri raised several industry-related issues with Mukherjee.
  “Our delegation strongly pleaded for debt relief package for revival of sick industrial units in Kashmir,” he said.
 He said the delegation urged the finance minister that the bars in the central industrial package vis-a-vis J&K industry should be removed.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 14 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST