The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir administration has cleared 53 additional industrial units under the New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS), with the projects expected to attract around ₹1,626 crore in investment and generate nearly 2,902 employment opportunities across the Union Territory.

Of the newly approved units, 35 will be established in the Jammu division and 18 in the Kashmir division, according to official sources.

With the latest approvals, the total number of industrial units registered under the NCSS in Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 971 from 918 earlier.

The 918 units approved previously are expected to bring an investment of around ₹12,668 crore, including approximately ₹9,220 crore in plant and machinery, and are projected to generate nearly 48,995 employment opportunities.

The latest batch of 53 units is expected to add around ₹1,294 crore in plant and machinery investment, with the overall proposed investment associated with these projects estimated at ₹1,626 crore.

Officials said several major national-level business groups are among the newly approved units.

More units may get approval

The latest approvals follow a decision by the Central Government’s Apex Committee to utilise savings available under the ₹28,400-crore Industrial Development Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir.

The Apex Committee had permitted the use of approximately ₹5,630.74 crore in savings under the scheme for registering additional industrial units beyond the 918 already approved.

Officials said the exact incentives applicable to the newly cleared 53 units were still being calculated.

Once the incentive liability is finalised, the administration will be able to determine the amount of funding that remains available and how many more units awaiting approval can be accommodated under the scheme.

Savings from investment and GST changes

The administration had informed the Apex Committee that substantial savings had emerged from the difference between investments projected in Detailed Project Reports and actual investments made by industrial units in plant and machinery.

An estimated ₹4,551.01 crore was available from this difference, while another ₹1,079.74 crore was available from the overall approved allocation, taking the estimated available amount to around ₹5,630.75 crore.

Around ₹3,500 crore of the expected savings reportedly arose following changes in GST rates.

The Apex Committee has also permitted fungibility and reappropriation of funds among different incentive components, including Capital Investment Incentive, Capital Interest Subvention, GST-linked Incentive and Working Capital Interest Subvention, based on actual and projected requirements.

The adjustments, however, are to be made without increasing or altering the overall approved allocation under the scheme.

J&K seeks larger incentive allocation

The New Central Sector Scheme was launched on April 1, 2021, with a total outlay of ₹28,400 crore and is scheduled to continue until 2037.

In view of the response from investors and the number of applications received for industrial registration, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has sought an increase in the incentive allocation to ₹75,000 crore.

The proposed enhancement is aimed at accommodating additional industrial projects and supporting further investment and employment generation in the Union Territory.

Industrial units registered under the scheme will remain eligible for incentives until 2037, with projects expected to come up across different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Industrial Development Scheme was introduced with the broader objective of promoting industrial growth in Jammu and Kashmir, attracting private investment and generating employment.

The original policy had envisaged the creation of around three lakh jobs, while the administration has subsequently projected higher employment generation in view of the response from investors. (KNC)

BHOPAL — Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said India’s criminal justice system was undergoing a major transformation with the implementation of the three new criminal laws, which he said were aimed at making justice faster, technology-driven and citizen-centric.

Addressing a conference of cattle rearers in Bhopal after inaugurating an exhibition on the new criminal laws, Shah said the new framework, once fully implemented, would enable cases to move from registration of an FIR to the Supreme Court within three years.

The three laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) — came into force across India on July 1, 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act.

Shah said the new system placed greater emphasis on technology, electronic evidence, online hearings, video conferencing and forensic science, besides provisions relating to women’s safety, missing children, terrorism and mob lynching.

He described “justice”, rather than “punishment”, as the core principle of the new criminal laws and said the framework was intended to protect the dignity, property and physical security of citizens.

According to Shah, the earlier criminal justice system was associated with prolonged litigation and repeated adjournments, which he described as the era of “tareekh pe tareekh”. He said the new laws were designed to introduce greater certainty and time-bound processes into criminal justice.

The Home Minister also spoke at length about the cooperative sector and dairy development, saying cooperatives could help livestock rearers secure better prices for milk and benefit from processing and value addition instead of depending heavily on intermediaries.

He highlighted what he termed “White Revolution 2.0”, under which the Centre has set a target of establishing 75,000 new dairy cooperatives and strengthening 46,000 existing ones.

Shah said India’s milk production had increased substantially over the past decade. The Union government’s account of his speech put production at about 14.60 crore tonnes in 2014-15 and around 24.80 crore tonnes at present, while per capita milk availability had risen from about 307 grams per day to 485 grams.

He also highlighted five technology-based models for the scientific collection and processing of cattle dung, saying they could help reduce methane emissions, recycle nutrients, generate clean energy and create additional rural economic opportunities.

The Home Minister said efforts were also being made to establish a mechanism under which cattle owners in Madhya Pradesh could receive fair prices for cow dung.

He further emphasised the role of modern technologies in improving cattle breeds, animal health and milk productivity, including the use of sex-sorted semen.

On narcotics, Shah said the Centre and Madhya Pradesh Government would prepare a detailed plan to make the state free from drugs and narcotics by December 31, 2029. The target was reiterated in reporting from the Bhopal event.

During the programme, Shah also criticised the Congress over the long-standing demand for a separate Ministry of Cooperation and credited the Narendra Modi government with establishing the ministry. His remarks were part of his wider political criticism of the opposition.

He said India should become a leading country across sectors by Aug. 15, 2047, and attributed the objective to the wider development agenda of the Modi government.

Several projects and initiatives were also announced or inaugurated during the programme.

Shah digitally laid the foundation stone for a ₹255-crore milk processing plant in Ujjain with a capacity of three lakh litres per day.

A 40,000-litre-per-day Product Dairy Plant and a state-level central laboratory were also inaugurated in Bhopal, while strengthening work on a mini dairy plant in Shivpuri was completed as another programme initiative.

An MoU between KRIBHCO and the Madhya Pradesh State Biodiversity Board for development of an urban forest in Bhopal under the Morvan Project was also exchanged in Shah’s presence.

The programme brought together discussions on criminal justice reform, dairy cooperatives, livestock development, anti-drug measures and environmental initiatives, with Shah stressing technology, cooperative institutions and greater economic participation in rural areas.

ANANTNAG — ASHA workers on Saturday staged a protest at the Sports Stadium in Anantnag under the banner of the Trade Union Coordination Committee (TUCC), demanding fulfilment of their long-pending demands, including an increase in their monthly remuneration.

The protesting workers raised slogans in support of their demands and said they perform various grassroots-level responsibilities in the public healthcare system but continue to face financial difficulties due to what they described as inadequate remuneration.

The protest was led by ASHA Workers’ President Shaheena Akhtar and Trade Union General Secretary Muzfar Ahmad Ganai, according to the news agency KNO.

Addressing the gathering, speakers said ASHA workers serve as an important link between the health department and local communities, particularly in rural and remote areas.

They said the workers remain engaged in activities related to maternal and child health, immunisation, nutrition, health awareness and other public health initiatives.

The protesters demanded that the government enhance their monthly remuneration and ensure that their compensation reflects the responsibilities entrusted to them.

“ASHA workers are performing essential duties at the grassroots level and often work in difficult circumstances. Their remuneration should reflect the nature and extent of their responsibilities,” the speakers said.

The protesters urged the government to take up their long-pending issues on priority and take concrete measures to improve their financial and working conditions.

They also sought parity with ASHA workers in other states, saying the government should examine remuneration provided elsewhere and take appropriate measures to improve compensation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Several protesters said that despite being part of the frontline workforce of the public health system, ASHA workers continue to face financial uncertainty.

“We are working in villages and remote areas and remain available for different health-related activities. We want the government to recognise our contribution and address our genuine demands,” the protesters said.

TUCC leaders warned that failure to address the demands would compel them to intensify their agitation.

They nevertheless said the workers would continue to pursue their demands through democratic and constitutional means and urged the government to initiate dialogue with their representatives.

The protesting workers also appealed to the administration and concerned authorities to intervene and consider their demands at the earliest.