With more than 60 percent of district industries centres (DICs) in Kashmir division being headless from 2016, industrialists in the valley and Ladakh are finding it difficult to get the routine work done within time, while it has become impossible for the new units to see the light of the day.
According to sources, eight posts of general managers at DICs and two posts of assistant directors at directorate of industries, Kashmir are vacant and so no effort is being taken to fill these. The DICs that have been lying headless includes Ganderbal, Bandipora, Shopian, Kulgam, Kupwara, Kargil, Leh and Budgam.
Speaking with Greater Kashmir, president of his faction of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), Muhammad Ashraf Mir said non-availability of these key officers, who are responsible for the majority of the decision at the DICs, is adversely affecting the people who are in the process of opening the new units. Besides it deflates the government’s ease of doing business initiative balloon, as industrialists are not able to complete different official procedures and process their wok, he said.
“We are dismayed over the non-availability of staff in different district industries centres. The issue was discussed in the administrative council meeting of FCIK and we have urged the government to fill them immediately,” Mir said. “Industrialists have to carry various assessments such as raw material assessments, toll exemption assessments and the need to seek other allied approvals, extensions, recommendations to other departments. All these required tasks have come to a standstill due to headless DICs,” Mir said.
Mir said the DICs in Jammu are having a full-fledged manpower while as in the valley the same centres are lying headless since 2016.
“The DICs were created in 1977 with an objective to decentralize powers from the directorate of industries to the various centers. It was to facilitate industrial investors and unit holders but in absence of general managers the objective stands defeated,” Mir said.
Mir said the government has failed to appoint the GMs and joint directors despite repeated requests from the industrialists.
“We are aghast at the recent order that gave additional charge of DIC Budgam to another general manager betraying the confidence stake holders again. The role of the DICs is defeated in totality incase the required and suitable officers are not posted immediately in the respective centres,” Mir said. FCIK has sought the intervention of the chief minister and the industries minister as the non-availability of key functionaries at different levels in the industries and commerce department is badly affecting the work of existing as well as aspiring unit holders, Mir said.
President, FCIK, Mukhtair Yousuf said in absence of headless DICs work of industrialists in these centres is put on the backburner. Yousuf said many aspiring industrialists have approached him complaining about tardy pace of work at DICs.
“The government is least bothered about the industry and now it seems that after bragging a lot of industrial development, their focus for employment generation has moved to some other sector,” Yousuf said.
When contacted, commissioner secretary, industries and commerce, Shailendra Kumar said the vacant posts are yet to be filled despite repeated reminders sent to general administrative department.
“We have made a request for requisitioning the posting of officers, which has not been granted so far. GAD has to fill these vacant posts. Various promotions are pending and since we need only KAS officers for these posts they will get filled once promotions take place,” Kumar said.
Kumar said nine posts of assistant directors in the directorate of handlooms and eight such posts in handicrafts is also proving to be a hurdle for day to day functioning of these departments. He said work related to both handicrafts and handloom sectors is suffering due to the lack of manpower.