Srinagar– Valley’s apex industrial chamber, the Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has conveyed its displeasure to the General Administrative Department (GAD) for not heeding its demand of timely replacement of General Managers in District Industries Centres (DICs) of Kashmir Division.
In a statement, FCIK regretted that most of DICs remained without full time General Managers from time to timeduring past over 3 years resulting in great inconvenience caused to both existing and prospective entrepreneursdisrupting their normal work and process.
“Records revealed that 7-8 out of 10 District Industries Centres (DICs) in the valley had been rendered headlessfrom time to time” stated FCIK adding that neither the pleas made by concerned department nor the protests of organisation through media moved the concerned to fill the vacant positions.
“It has been observed that whenever a General Manager was transferred for some other assignment, the position in DIC would be left unfilled” stated FCIK, adding that it was during the recent mass transfers that some positions in DICs were filled.
FCIK protested that, amoung others, two most important DICs of Budgam and Pulwama were currently without full-time General Managers leaving enterprises of the organised industrial estates of Sanat Nagar, Rangreth, Ompora, Budgam, Lassipora, Pulwama, Chatpora,Wuyan, Sempora etc apart from hundreds of units established in unorganised sector in the lurch.
“While the Industrial Growth Centre Lassipora had made J&K proud after it was declared as South Asia’s largest apple grading-storage Centre recently, hundreds of enterprises housed in the estate continued to suffer on account of a full-time General Manager”, regretted FCIK.
“Besides General Managers, the industry in Kashmir also suffered on account of frequent transfer of the Directors of I&C Kashmir during past three years” stated FCIK. “While the incumbent Director of I&C Jammu was holding the post since December, 2018, the Kashmir Division witnessed transfer of about 6 Directors during the same period” observed FCIK, adding that currently I&C Kashmir was being looked after by an officer of another department as his additional assignment.
FCIK stated that while GAD was primarily responsible for placement of necessary staff in all industry-related departments which it couldn’t be shied away with bymaking stop-gap arrangement for a department considered crucial and important for industrial development and employment generation.
“A set of officers having clear understanding of industrial promotion and dynamism in approach needed to be put in charge of various positions in the Directorate and DICs for a longer duration of not less than 2-3 years”, observed FCIK.