Advisor to Governor, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, on Thursday said that Kashmir’s cricket bat units were proving to be sustainable entrepreneurial ventures by providing employment opportunities to thousands of youth.
Speaking to the delegationof Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association led by Abdul RashidDar from south Kashmir, Ganai said that the sector needed government patronageto grow. He said that the bat sector has a potential to grow manifold providedthat concerted efforts were put to revive the sector.
Interacting with theAdvisor during day-long Governor’s Public Grievance camp at Church Lane here,the cricket bat manufacturers apprised him about issues of their trade. Theyappealed the Advisor that government must come up with a strategy to revive andstrengthen the bat manufacturing sector.
The delegation informedthat the success of Indian Premier League (IPL)—where the franchise ownerssplash millions of dollars to acquire their favourite players was proving tohave a positive effect on the cricket bat manufacturing in Kashmir as well.They said that they were getting orders for many consignments from severalcorporates from across India.
The cricket bat sector inKashmir has more than 400 units, some 30 to 40 in Jammu region; includingregistered and unregistered, with a collective turnover of over Rs 10 croreannually.
The delegation said thathassles in free trade should be cleared. They said some of the truckloads werestranded at Lakhanpur, Jammu, for official clearance and efforts should betaken to clear them at the earliest.