Srinagar, Oct 10: The Kashmir Electric Equipment Manufacturers Association (KEEMA) has expressed deep dismay over the objections raised by a group of retired bureaucrats operating under the banner of the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC).
In a statement issued on Saturday, KEEMA President Raja Nayeem Ahmad Khan said the apprehensions expressed over the legislation risked undermining progressive economic reforms and discouraging investment in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on behalf of the industrial and manufacturing fraternity, Khan questioned the timing and intent of the objections, stating that those who had administered the region for decades bore a moral responsibility to explain why practical, pro-growth procedural simplifications could not be envisioned or implemented during their tenures.
He said public policy and economic progress could not be held hostage to generalised apprehensions raised after retirement.
Khan maintained that the Ease of Doing Business Act was designed to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic red tape while preserving robust legal and environmental safeguards. Vague warnings about regulatory changes, without identifying specific provisions or demonstrating actual adverse consequences, would only discourage local enterprise and fresh investment, he said.
Emphasising the importance of manufacturing and traditional livelihoods, the KEEMA president said modern industrial frameworks were vital for local manufacturing units, traditional handicrafts and artisanal activities that form an important part of Kashmir’s economic and cultural foundation.
He said legitimate economic activities operating within valid land-use parameters should be supported rather than viewed through a lens of unwarranted suspicion.
Highlighting Jammu and Kashmir’s employment challenges, Khan said the region needed responsible industrial growth and employment generation. He cautioned that halting progress through speculative opposition could harm youth employment and penalise local manufacturers striving to compete in a modern economy.
Khan said KEEMA fully supported a transparent, fair and investment-friendly industrial ecosystem and urged the government to continue implementing reforms that empower local manufacturers. He also challenged the Group of Concerned Citizens to substantiate its claims through an open debate backed by evidence rather than speculative apprehensions.
Calling upon the Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) and the wider business fraternity to defend the region’s economic interests, Khan urged them to stand against what he described as misinformed interference in the reform process.
“Let policy be shaped by facts, law, and the public interest, not by unfounded apprehensions,” Khan said in the statement.
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