Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 30: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) today said that industrial growth in J&K cannot be achieved through excessive controls, repeated fees and endless permissions.
It stressed that a trust-based, facilitative and entrepreneur-friendly regulatory framework is essential for MSMEs to survive, grow and generate employment.
In a statement, FCIK sought the intervention of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, saying that before speaking of “Ease of Doing Business,” there must be a genuine focus on ensuring “Ease of Living” for entrepreneurs, which in J&K remains largely confined to policy documents.
On the ground, the chamber said, entrepreneurs spend more time navigating renewals, permissions and no-objection certificates (NOCs) across Government offices than running their businesses, leading to productivity losses, discouraging enterprise and weakening the industrial ecosystem.
FCIK said entrepreneurs are required to obtain prior approvals for routine business decisions such as induction of partners or directors, changes in business structure, diversification of activities and transfer of units, including to legal heirs.
“Though legally permitted, these actions are treated as regulatory events requiring multiple permissions in J&K,” it said, adding that entrepreneurs must be trusted to make such changes unless they involve prohibited activities.
Highlighting ground realities, FCIK pointed to micro units manufacturing wooden fruit boxes, a key seasonal industry supporting Kashmir’s horticulture sector.
These units face severe difficulty in obtaining renewals from the Forest Department, which requires multiple formalities, including consents from the Pollution Control Committee, it said.
The committee, in turn, demands NOCs from departments such as Fire Services and local bodies, creating a circular process that takes months.
By the time one renewal is secured, another becomes due, according to FCIK.
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