Jammu, November 8
The Jammu and Kashmir Government and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry are at loggerheads on the issue of setting up special economic zones (SEZs) in the state.

While keeping in mind the heat generated over the matter not only in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana but at the national level too, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said no to the idea of setting up a SEZ in the state, the Chamber president, Mr Ram Sahay, wants him to follow other states for growth of the industry.

Mr Azad is opposed to setting up of SEZ here as the state has had a bitter experience of certain big industrialists setting up units here only to pocket the concessions announced by the Centre and the state government. Observers point out that his fear was also the outcome of the recent controversy that has been generated following the decision of the government to involve private sector in tourism in the valley.

On the other hand, Mr Sahay said it was unwise to close the doors of the state to SEZ. He said the Centre had already sanctioned two SEZs for being established in Jammu and Srinagar for which the entire money would be provided by it. Why should the state government say no to their setting up which would help the industry in a big way.

Mr Sahay said it was after the persuasion of the Chamber that the Centre had agreed to fund these SEZs in which the entire infrastructure would be developed by the Central agencies. The industry will have the benefit of getting their problems solved under a single window.

Mr Azad said the state government had been providing cheap land, electricity and concessions in sales and income tax to the industry, but this has not benefited the local people. He said even the existing industry was not following the rule of providing 90 per cent employment to the local youth. A performa had been circulated among the local industry to ascertain the number of locals employed at the managerial and lower levels in their respective units.

Meanwhile, experts say that with the perennial power shortage and terrorism in the state, setting up a SEZ would prove to be a white elephant. Hardly any large-scale industry has come here even after the Centre announced a special package of concessions for the state. 

Srinagar, November 8
A militant and a woman were killed in Kupwara and Baramula districts, respectively, and another person injured in one of the two blasts carried by militants, officials said today.

One of the blasts occurred in the Ganderbal area on the city’s outskirts where the Army busted a militant hideout last night and seized two rocket projectile guns, two AK assault rifle magazines and 103 rounds of ammunition, six IEDs and electric detonators.

A militant was killed in an encounter with security forces at Drangyari village of Rajwar near Line of Control (LoC) last night, officials said.

With his death, number of militants killed in the day-long operation in the Rajwar belt rose to two. Yesterday morning, troops killed a militant at Bari Behak in Rangwar. — PTI