Those investing in J&K will have to give employment to local youth: Deputy CM

The deputy chief minister (CM) Surinder Choudhary on Wednesday said that those who set up industries in Jammu and Kashmir will have to provide employment to local youth.

- HT Correspondent

JAMMU:

Responding to queries raised by BJP MLA Rajiv Jasrotia and NC MLAs Saif-ud-Din Bhat and Mubarak Gul during question hour in the legislative assembly here, Choudhary said, "The house has a genuine concern. The local youth have suffered over the years but the Omar Abdullah government is committed to its promise of creating job avenues for our youth. If anyone has to invest in the industrial sector, they have to provide employment to local youth."

"Investors will have to provide employment to local youth and we will ensure this," he added.

Choudhary informed the House that the Omar government has laid special emphasis on the industrial sector.

Replying to a supplementary question by Jasrotia, Choudhary further said, "We will not allow the lands of the people of J&K to be given to outsiders. Whatever is right will be done."

"We want development of the industries but not at the expense of our people," he added.

He informed the house that CM Omar held meetings with various stakeholders in the industrial sector.

"It is a fact that the local industry faced losses during the past 10 years and our youth also suffered because nothing was done for creating job avenues for them. But the Omar government is committed to provide them jobs and we will ensure that those investing in Jammu and Kashmir give employment to our youth," he said. Choudhary said the key highlights of the Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Policy 2021-30 aim to bolster industrial growth across various sectors, focusing on manufacturing, IT, agriculture, food processing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure, real estate, herbal and medicinal plants, among other sectors notified by the Jammu and Kashmir government.