FCIK calls for end to discrimination against printing industry

Srinagar, Jan 26: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has urged the J&K government to revisit its existing policy in respect of printed material procured by government departments and Public Sector Undertakings to save hundreds of industrial units from injustice and discrimination.

In a statement, the FCIK has informed that close to 1000 enterprises in Micro and Small industrial sector in Jammu and Kashmir with huge cumulative investment in physical assets and plant and machinery were currently craving for marketing support which earlier used to come to them from the government departments and public sector undertakings.

“Under the changed procedures, the government departments allowed participation by unregistered vendors including individual brokers and agents in their tenders floated through Government e-Marketing (GeM) portal or e-tendering system at par with registered industrial units”. informed FCIK,  adding that such an entitlement for vendors had undermined the very importance of industrial units having physically invested on the ground and provided sustained employment to large number of employees.

FCIK has also raised objections over the criteria inscribed in departmental tenders like having previous experience of supplying to the government, the minimum threshold of big size orders done in the past and several other irrational conditionalities which tilt the scale in favour of limited tenderers.

“Because of the irrational qualifications specified for participation in the tenders, it looked like the tenders by some departments were being crafted to favour only a few players.”

FCIK has also questioned the wisdom of J&K Government in advising all state government departments and PSUs to afford purchase preference to Government Press in the procurement of their printed material without any bar for ascertaining the reasonability of rates and quality of supplies.

While terming the said advisory discriminatory and against the spirit of promoting entrepreneurship, the FCIK urged the government to treat local printing industrial units at par with the Government Press for the reason that these units had also been set up under industrial policy which promised of sponsorship and support from the government.

“How can we motivate startups and young prospective entrepreneurs to set up their industrial ventures under the ambitious industrial programme when we don’t recognize their significance and give them their due later’, asked the apex industrial body.

The FCIK has urged upon the government to revisit their policy in respect of the procurement of printed material and re-frame a procurement policy that treated registered industrial printing units at par with the Government Press and also excluded vendors and middlemen from the process of tendering or contract allotment.

FCIK reminded the government that local industrial units in general and the printing industry, in particular, had suffered huge losses in the past during turbulent conditions, natural calamities and other reasons.

FCIK has also urged the government to look into the issue of delayed release of due payments against supplies made by the players in the printing industry months back.

“The printing industry deserved a collaboration of the government in their rejuvenation, modernization, technological up-gradation, and scaling up to the next level and in this regard looks towards the support and cooperation from J&K government."