STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Making a strong plea for introducing Goods and Services Tax (GST) in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for DoNER and MoS PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh said here on Sunday that the provisions in GST will certainly boost the economy of the State and put it on the track to emerge as a part of the global economy towards which India is aheading.
Addressing a function organized by Jammu Chambers of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Dr Jitendra Singh said, those who have reservations, whatsoever, against bringing GST to J&K, need to ask themselves whether their reservations are based on merits or demerits of GST per se, or they are motivated by certain extraneous considerations regardless of the economic benefit accruing from GST. In latter case, he said, they will have to do a lot of explaining to the people of the State, particularly the business and trade community, for having deprived the State from the benefits of GST.
Time has come, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the State of Jammu & Kashmir and the business community will have to come out of the mindset of being ‘subsidy seekers’ and instead aiming at becoming ‘subsidy givers’. For long, the trade and business in the State has depended on Central incentives and benevolence, which might have also intimidated the initiative to be on our own, he said.
It is a strange irony, Dr Jitendra Singh said that just two-four hours away from Jammu, cities like Jalandhar and Amritsar have become business hubs of India, while Jammu still has a long way to go. He said, time has come to ask ourselves, is it because instead of providing incentives, there has been series of disincentives against investment or establishment of industry in Jammu & Kashmir.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, the entire country is moving on a fast-track of economic growth and if we choose to deprive ourselves of this fast growth, for whatever reason, it may be too late to catch up with the rest of the country. He said, under Prime Minister Modi, even Northeast has fast emerged as an investment hub for organic farming and local entrepreneurship, and therefore, it would be a tragedy that a State like Jammu & Kashmir, which does not have the disadvantages of lack of connectivity and distant terrains like Northeast, ultimately ends up as a loser in the race.
Earlier, President JCCI Rakesh Gupta welcomed Dr Jitendra Singh and presented a resume of the various activities of the Chamber in the recent times. He also made a strong plea to the government and the society to support industry and trade in the region. He also presented a memorandum, listing various demands and suggestions by JCCI including setting up of Rail Coach Repair factory, improvement in connectivity, introduction of modern tourism, exemption under GST to Industries, development of Suchetgarh Border on the pattern of Wagha at Amritsar, air connectivity, rail connectivity, IT Park for Poonch/Rajouri sector, hydro electric projects, trade policy, AIIMS etc.
The Jammu Chamber requested the Union Government to launch a promotion campaign to promote the religious circuit available in Jammu province for the people from all religions to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Shahdra Sharief in Rajouri, Nangali Sahib in Poonch and Budha Amarnath in Mandi. State Industry Minister Chander Parkash Ganga said that he had a relationship of absolute compatibility and cooperation with the industry leaders and was always open to their suggestions. He also appreciated Dr Jitendra Singh for his readily available response and help whenever he is approached for any issue.
MoS Priya Sethi gave a resume of the recent initiatives undertaken by the department of tourism under her.
Among those who were present include Sham Lal Langer, Senior Vice President, Arun Gupta Secretary General, Rahul Mahajan Secretary and Ashu Gupta, Treasurer.
