Laghu Udyog Bharati urges immediate policy reforms to protect J&K Industrial Sector

 Jammu: Laghu Udyog Bharati, Jammu and Kashmir State Unit, has urged the government to take immediate action to help the industrial sector in J&K. The organisation held a meeting led by State President Shri Parveen Pargal, with other senior members including Rajinder Gupta, Dinesh Gupta, Advocate Ishant Gupta, Aagam Jain, and CA Pranav Gupta. The meeting focused on the problems faced by industries and ways to support their growth.

Parveen Pargal said that Laghu Udyog Bharati has always worked for the welfare of industrialists. He requested the government to pay attention to important issues that are hurting businesses, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Despite many requests, many problems remain unsolved, which is affecting industrial growth in the region.

One important issue raised was about units that made their first investment before 30th September 2024. Many entrepreneurs bought land, got pollution certificates, prepared project plans, and completed other formalities before this date, but did not finish their full application in time. Laghu Udyog Bharati asked the government to include these units in the incentive scheme, as excluding them would be unfair and harm future growth.

The organisation also requested that the deadline for registration under the New Central Sector Scheme be extended by two years, up to 30th September 2026. This extension will help more investors benefit from the scheme and support the growth of MSMEs, which are important for creating jobs in J&K.

Another major concern is the removal of the purchase preference given to MSME industries. Before GST and the reorganisation of J&K, MSME units supplied goods to government departments with a purchase & price preference. This helped them stay in business. After GST, this preference was withdrawn suddenly, causing many units to face losses or close down. Even though industry groups took part in discussions, no new procurement policy has been made yet in operations, and industries continue to face problems.

The meeting also discussed other issues. The turnover incentive scheme is still not fully paid to the eligible units. Laghu Udyog Bharati asked the government to release these payments quickly. They also requested that SGST refund claims should not be rejected just because of late filing, especially when delays are genuine. Many industrialists have not received payments for supplies made to government departments since 2017, and the organisation urged the authorities to clear these dues soon.Laghu Udyog Bharati promised to continue supporting MSMEs and requested the government to adopt fair and flexible policies. These steps are necessary to ensure steady industrial growth and economic development in Jammu and Kashmir.