Govt moves to rationalise manpower, retrieve SIDCO land and finalise J&K Industrial Policy

591 surplus SICOP staff deployed on temporary arrangements; 45 kanals of encroached SIDCO land retrieved at Balol

SRINAGAR, SEPT 29: The Jammu & Kashmir Government has initiated measures to rationalise manpower across industrial corporations, retrieve encroached industrial land and finalise the revised Industrial Policy for the Union Territory, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary informed the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

Replying to a question raised by MLA Chander Prakash Ganga, the Deputy Chief Minister said the Jammu & Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation (SICOP) has 591 surplus employees following the closure or cessation of its Marketing Wing and Raw Material Depots.

He said these surplus employees are currently engaged on 89-day arrangements.

At the same time, J&K SIDCO is facing a shortage of regular manpower, particularly due to retirements.

To address the shortage, surplus staff from SICOP, along with personnel from J&K Cements Limited, have been deployed in SIDCO, while skilled manpower is being engaged through outsourcing wherever required.

The Government has also deployed or utilised 30 surplus employees from other corporations to augment manpower in corporations facing shortages.

45 kanals of SIDCO land retrieved

On encroachment of SIDCO land at Balol, Choudhary said an anti-encroachment drive had resulted in the retrieval of 45 kanals of land.

Regarding the remaining encroached land, he said the matter had been taken up with the District Administration through communications dated June 16 and August 29, 2026.

The Department is pursuing the matter with the District Administration for early retrieval of the remaining land, he said.

Revised Industrial Policy at final stage

On the proposed revised Industrial Policy for Jammu & Kashmir, the Deputy Chief Minister said the draft policy had been placed in the public domain to invite suggestions and comments from stakeholders.

A committee headed by the Administrative Secretary, Finance Department, was constituted by the General Administration Department to examine the feedback received from stakeholders.

The committee has held several rounds of meetings with stakeholders to deliberate on their suggestions and incorporate appropriate inputs into the draft policy, Choudhary said.

He added that the revised Industrial Policy is currently at the final stage of consideration and is expected to be notified after completion of the requisite formalities.

The proposed policy addresses issues relating to manpower, industrial land, infrastructure and investment promotion.