Omar ask pvt cos to look at investment opportunities J&K

New Delhi, June 15 (PTI) Urging investors to free their
minds of the idea of Jammu and Kashmir being a militancy-hit
state, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday asked private
companies to look at investment opportunities in the region in
areas, including farm, power, tourism, IT and handicraft.

Initialising efforts to attract investors to the state,
the Chief Minister held the first meeting of the joint task
force, set up with industry body CII.

In his inaugural address, Abdullah informed the industry
captains about the state government's proposal to set up a
coal-based thermal power plant at the pit head with a 1,000 MW
capacity.

"This will help the state in overcoming its acute power
shortage and we may at some stage look for private sector
participation in a joint venture mode for this purpose," he
said during.

Abdullah is the Chairman of the CII task force on J&K.
Bharti Enterprise Chairman and CEO Sunil Mittal is the
co-chairman. Among others who attended the meeting were Sunil
Munjal of Hero Group, Deepak Puri of Moser Baer's, Shivinder
Mohan Singh of Fortis.

The 39-year-old Chief Minister said his state is endowed
with great natural resources, which have unfortunately not
been developed to its full potential for reasons which are
well-known.

"However, we think that we are now on the path of
revival. The voter turn out during elections has demonstrated
people's resolve to put the past behind them and to move on
with their normal lives," Abdullah said.

He said here people's aspirations were similar to those
in any part of the country. They want better services from the
government and are "willing to cooperate and do their own
bit...We have to respond to these aspirations."

A candid speaking Omar said the "governance (in the
state) has to improve" and be more "efficient and
hardworking". He added that no government can hope to resolve
all the problems on its own unless all the stakeholders
cooperate and work in partnership.

"It is in this background that I seek your partnership
in doing a number of things...be it setting up of industries,
setting up of colleges, polytechnics, executing power projects
or constructing roads, bridges, flyovers, dams.

"So today, I have come to call upon you to do your bit,
not in a small way but in a substantial manner so that we are
able to solve the most pressing problems of the people of my
state," he said in his appeal to the industry leaders.

He listed the sectors strategic for economic growth of
state, which included agriculture, crafts, mineral and IT.

He said while the government was focusing on these
sectors by investing major portion of funds, the progress so
far has not been commensurate due to non-involvement of
organised private sector and lower infusion of technology.

Abdullah said his government has also decided to select
an Independent Power Projects on Built Own Operate Transfer
basis for generating power from geothermal field in Ladakh.

On the ways of tackling unemployment in the state, he
said "we want to impart skills to improve the employability of
our youth...you (industry) can set up technical colleges and
training institutes in the state...".

About the health sector, the Chief Minister said J&K was
going to come out with a "clear policy within next three
months" which will outline the state's ambitious plans for
encouraging Public-private Partnership in a big way.

"Please brace up for partnership in the health sector. In
certain cases, we could request you to use some of our un-
utilised infrastructure to set up advanced medical care
centres," he said.

"Even at the cost of repetition, I will like to emphasize
that our priorities are employment for the educated and
skilled youth....give us good and doable projects, we will
help you to execute them fast," he said. PTI NKD
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