Srinagar, Sep 29: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has initiated measures to rationalise manpower in industrial corporations, reclaim encroached SIDCO 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 by MLA Chander Prakash Ganga, Choudhary said 591 employees of SICOP have become surplus following the closure of its Marketing Wing and Raw Material Depots. The surplus staff are currently engaged on 89-day arrangements.
He said J&K SIDCO is facing a shortage of regular manpower, particularly due to retirements. To address the shortfall, surplus SICOP employees, along with personnel from J&K Cements Limited, have been deployed to SIDCO. Skilled manpower is also being engaged through outsourcing wherever required.
The Deputy Chief Minister said 30 surplus employees from other corporations have similarly been deployed to corporations facing manpower shortages against identified requirements.
On encroachment of SIDCO land at Balol, Choudhary said an anti-encroachment drive resulted in the retrieval of 45 kanals of land.
He said the remaining encroachment has been taken up with the District Administration through communications issued on June 16 and August 29, 2026, and efforts are underway for early retrieval of the remaining land.
On the proposed revised Industrial Policy, Choudhary said the draft was placed in the public domain to invite suggestions and comments from stakeholders.
A committee headed by the Administrative Secretary, Finance Department, was subsequently constituted by the General Administration Department to examine the feedback received.
The committee has held several rounds of consultations with stakeholders and is incorporating appropriate suggestions into the draft policy, he said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the revised Industrial Policy is now at the final stage of consideration and is expected to be notified after completion of the requisite formalities.