Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday Chief Minister underlined the need for responsible entrepreneurial practices to foster an economic ecosystem that ensures sustainability across J&K.
According to an official press release, Abdullah attended the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Jammu & Kashmir Annual Session-2025 titled “AMAZING J&K: Aspiring for New Growth Goals”.
The event, organized by the CII J&K Council, brought together business leaders, industrialists, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders to discuss strategic actions to boost J&K’s economic growth and development, driving the region’s competitiveness and business potential through a robust and resilient industrial and sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Addressing the session, the Chief Minister emphasized that such interactions are pivotal to enhancing efficiency, competitiveness, and creating business opportunities for industries through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.
The Chief Minister sought suggestions and valuable insights from the participating entrepreneurs and other stakeholders that can be incorporated into the upcoming budget of Jammu and Kashmir for the overall welfare and benefit of the public, as well as for industries, tourism, and other sectors.
While advocating for expanding investments in J&K, the Chief Minister underscored that such investments must be regulated by laws protecting the agricultural land and having land investment safeguards, like in Himachal Pradesh which has put reasonable restrictions, and at the same time it would ensure jobs for local youth.
The Chief Minister noted that Himachal Pradesh has adopted a strict policy in this regard and stressed the adoption of a similar policy in J&K.
He commended the resilience of J&K’s industry, acknowledging businesses that have endured challenging times without solely relying on government subsidies. He stressed the importance of ensuring long-term business sustainability, proposing a mechanism to track businesses’ viability beyond ten years.
On the ease of doing business, the Chief Minister advocated for a genuine single-window clearance system, addressing concerns over bureaucratic hurdles, particularly in obtaining clearances from forest and environment boards, which hinder manufacturing growth.
He encouraged stakeholders to provide suggestions and feedback for the upcoming budget, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to an industry-friendly policy framework.
Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Satish Sharma, who attended the event as Guest of Honour, also spoke at the event. He emphasized the need to address past deficiencies and underscored the importance of promoting sports tourism, health tourism, and border tourism while leveraging Kashmir’s renowned hospitality through innovative marketing strategies.
Madhav Singhania, Joint Managing Director & CEO, JK Cements Limited & Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry, Northern Region; Syed Junaid Altaf Group Executive Director, FIL Industries Pvt. Ltd. & Chairman, CII J&K; Dr. M. A. Alim Director, Package Design Industries & Vice Chairman CII J&K were also present on the occasion.
Budget session will lay strong foundation to address peoples’ issues: CM
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that the upcoming budget session will lay a strong foundation to resolve demands and address concerns of the people.
He said all demands cannot be fulfilled in one go as people of J&K “have given us five years of time to settle the issues”.
He reiterated that the government is doing its best to live up to the expectations of the people.
“It will be our effort to live up to the expectations of the people. They have given us five years of time, so it cannot happen that all demands will be met in the first budget session alone. But this will be a good beginning which will lay a strong foundation in resolving peoples’ issues in future,” Omar Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.
On flag meeting by the Army in Poonch district, Abdullah said it is good if armies from India and Pakistan have conceived to hold flag meeting to de-escalate tensions between the two nations.
“The flag meetings are meant to de-escalate the tensions and avoid use of force. It is good if it is happening,” Abdullah added.
CM reviews functioning of Raabita office
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today chaired a review meeting of the CM’s Public Services and Outreach Office, Raabita, in Srinagar to assess its functioning and strengthen its role in addressing public grievances effectively.
According to an official press release, during the meeting, the Chief Minister directed that Raabita nodal officers be designated at the district level to ensure prompt and efficient handling of public issues. He stressed the need for a proactive approach in reaching out to people, ensuring that government initiatives and grievance redressal mechanisms are accessible to every citizen.
A detailed presentation was given on the office’s working, highlighting key achievements and ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing public service delivery. The Chief Minister reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment to a transparent, accountable, and people-centric administration.
He instructed officials to adopt a more responsive and result-oriented approach, ensuring that grievances are resolved in a time-bound manner. He emphasized on improving the quality of disposal of public grievances and to ensure that grievances are actually resolved when updating the final disposal of each grievance.
Emphasizing the importance of direct engagement with citizens, the Chief Minister directed officials to increase outreach efforts through awareness campaigns, interactive public sessions, and digital platforms. He assured that his government remains committed to listening to people’s concerns and taking concrete steps to resolve them.
Meanwhile, the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC) delegation led by former IAS officer Khurshid Ahmad Ganai called on the Chief Minister at Raabita office and expressed their concern over the proposed amendments being contemplated in the Unified Building By Laws (UBBL). The GCC members requested the CM to review the proposed UBBL amendments & urban planning policies which have been initiated by the Housing & Urban Development Department just before the elected government assumed office in October.
The Chief Minister listened to their objections and said that his government would examine the objections and scrutinize other urban development policies before approving any such policy and said that all stakeholders shall be consulted before firming up such policies or bringing any legislation to that effect.
