J&K IT and Real Estate policy 2020

Syllabus subtopic: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.

Prelims and Mains focus: about the key highlights of the policies mentioned; about J&K Reorganisation Act

News: The Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government is highlighting good quality air and low crime rate in the newly created Union Territory to attract investors.

Background

• Internet has been snapped in the Union Territory since August 5, 2019 when the Home Minister moved two bills in the Rajya Sabha to revoke the special status under Article 370.

• Following Supreme Court directions, 2G mobile connectivity was restored in J&K in January with access only to 301 government-approved websites.

• Investment opportunities in 14 sectors in the Union Territory were unveiled at an investor conference in the national capital in January.

Highlights of J&K Information Technology (IT) Policy 2020

• The J&K administration is offering an incentive to IT companies to operate in three-shifts and to facilitate women working during the night by provided transportation and security.

• At least 15% of “plug and play” premises in designated IT parks will be reserved for women entrepreneurs.

• The policy document says J&K contributes only 0.1% of the total cognisable crimes under the Indian Penal Code.

• Two IT parks with an area of five lakh square feet are being developed in Jammu and Srinagar which will have “dedicated and uninterrupted broad band connectivity and wi-fi access.”

• The policy says that “as a special dispensation for IT units, the land allotment would be decided on top priority” and the government would encourage private sector participants to become Internet service providers to enable high speed Internet connectivity in all panchayats of J&K.

J&K Real Estate Policy highlights

• It states that a vast land bank owned by the government would be disbursed to “private developers” through a transparent bidding process. The Home Minister had told a delegation from J&K on September 3, 2019 that “only government land would be used to establish industries, hospitals and educational institutions” and “nobody's land would be taken away.”

• The existing land acquisition laws would be amended to incorporate the landowners as stakeholders in the housing development. The authorities without going into the compulsory land acquisition will either partner with private players on equity basis or facilitate land assembly by acquisition or pooling through private players as done by other development authorities in other States.

• The developers will have to reserve 20% dwelling units in group housing projects for economically weaker section and lower income groups.

• The UT of J&K is offering 100% exemption on stamp duty, land use charge, permission, construction and processing fee for the housing for Economically Weaker Section and LIG groups.

• The government will persuade the National Housing Bank, HUDCO, financial institutions, commercial banks and insurance sector to extend the network of operations in J&K to provide affordable housing credit to people.