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Road links between Pakistan, J&K may be opened soon

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, FEB. 13. The possibility of the restoration of road links between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan in the near future is arousing hopes of a fresh impetus to business opportunities in the State.

A. Sahasranaman, Principal Secretary, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, said that officials and businessmen were expecting at least two road links from Jammu and Kashmir to Pakistan within a year.

He was speaking at a conference on "Investing in Jammu and Kashmir Food Processing - Exploring the Untapped Potential," jointly organised by the CIFTI (Food Wing of the FICCI); the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MFPI); the Department of Industries and Commerce (Government of Jammu and Kashmir) and the Jammu and Kashmir State Industrial Development Corporation (JKSIDC) here today.

"We are hopeful that the road links with Pakistan from the State would be opened up soon thus resulting in a surge in investment flow to Jammu and Kashmir. This will also create more job opportunities," he said, noting that efforts to promote peace in the State was going to lead to a better investment climate.

Calling the developments in the last one-and-a-half years as "fast" and "significant," he said: "An investment in Jammu and Kashmir today is an investment in peace." He said that despite long years of militancy, poverty was not rampant in the State that had a strong middle class, with a per capita income pegged at Rs.12,399 which compared favourably with the national per capita income.

J. Vasudevan, secretary, MFPI said the State had good potential in the horticultural sector. The Centre was taking a holistic approach towards the development of the food processing sector and was providing financial assistance in the form of grant for promotion of the processed food sector.

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