Promote products to enhance J&K’s export potential: Goyal

Srinagar, Oct 18 (UNI) Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday emphasised the need to promote products that can enhance export potential of the Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Goyal, who is on a two-day visit to the valley said this during an interaction with officials at picturesque Pahalgam in south Kashmir where stalls of various products were displayed.
He also inquired about the manufacturing of these products, specially laid emphasis on promoting products that can add up to the export potential of the UT.
He gave directions to the district administration to extend all possible support to the local entrepreneurs and artisans for increasing productivity.
The Union Minister inspected stalls put up by various departments including Animal Husbandry, District Industries, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Social Welfare, Horticulture, Sheep Husbandry, Handloom and Handicrafts.
He directed the district administration to work out plans for homestay tourism in Pahalgam that will both boost the local economy and add to the tourist potential of Pahalgam.
He also proposed the setting up of a carpet village that will act as a demonstration centre of the local craft to visiting tourists and also promote the local carpet industry globally. He laid stress on the fact that local industry players should play by their strengths and setup units where the UT has a comparative advantage to ensure sustenance of the industries being setup.
The minister also distributed baby kits among newly born female infants under the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” scheme. Under the “Ladli Beti” scheme, grants were distributed among beneficiaries.
He also distributed sanction letters among beneficiaries for purchase of milk vans. Besides, the Union Minister distributed Tricycles among the specially-abled persons through social welfare department.
The Union minister also met several delegations of recently elected Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) members who apprised the minister of their active participation in the planning and execution process. The delegation commended the efforts of district administration for taking them onboard in development decisions.
Goyal while appreciating the efforts of the district administration in taking PRIs onboard, assured the PRIs of speedy redressal of all the grievances raised.
Piyush Goyal also met a delegation of industrialists from the valley. The industrialists apprised the minister of local issues being faced by the industry. There was thorough discussion on bottlenecks in export of Kashmiri shawls. There was also discussion regarding the new industrial package and need to extend the package to existing industrial units to ensure their growth.
The Minister assured the delegation of all possible support from the central government for promotion of local industries. Taking immediate action on bottlenecks faced in export of shawls and directed the authorities to setup testing facilities at Srinagar and Delhi airport while simultaneously upgrading the local testing facilities with state of the art machines.