MSME units in J&K engaged in manufacturing of cement, tiles are on verge of closure: BBIA

Srinagar, Dec 6 (KNN) Bari Brahmana Industries Association (BBIA) held a meeting to discuss the issue of ban imposed on the extraction of sand & bajri due to which the Micro, Small and Medium Units (MSMEs) units engaged in the manufacturing of cement tiles and other related products facing acute problem and are on the verge of closure.

''The Sand and Bajri is the basic raw materials for the units engaged in the manufacturing of cement tiles and other related products. Ban of these materials would stop production of the units and the unit holders have to close down their units,'' BBIA said in a release. 

BBIA further said that on the directions of the National Green Trubinal (NGT) and State Pollution Control Board, the extraction of Sand and Bajri has been banned as the approval of the State Environmental Assessment Authority is pending with the approximately 40 firms.  The contract has been awarded by the Geology and Mining Department on the basis of tenders but the concerned authority is not granting the permission which harming the industrial units and all the Projects work and civil construction work has been stand still from so many days.

''The SSI Units are on the verge of closure due non availability of raw materials resulting into huge financial losses. Unit holders are not in a position to pay the Wages/Power Bills/GST Payments/Bank Interest & other government dues,'' BBIA added.

''We fear that the accounts of the unit holders may be converted into NPA by the banks which will force unit holders to close down their units in near future,'' the association said.

BBIA appealed to Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Girish Chandra Murmu to intervene in to the matter and issue necessary directions for the speedy clearance of the approval by the state environmental assessment authority for the applications pending with them for the extraction of Sand & Bajri by the contractors which will provide great relief to the Units engaged in the manufacturing of cement tiles.