Srinagar, Jan 27:  Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Thursday urged departments who have withheld the payments of entrepreneurs to release the same to save them from humiliation and mental agony.

Farooq Amin , Secretary General, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Inc) held a meeting of the Micro Small Enterprises Facilitation Council (MSEFC), Kashmir under the Chairmanship of Director, Industries & Commerce Kashmir on January 24 in the conference Hall of J&K SICOP, Srinagar.

“Secretary General expressed its concern over the long overdue payments from almost last 4 years and insist to clear the dues as most of them turned NPA’s because of strict bank policies,’ the KCC&I said in a statement.

“Secretary General at the same time urged the Director industries to take up the issue with the higher authorities of all those departments who have withheld the payments of these entrepreneurs so that our industrialist don’t suffer any more,” the statement said, adding, “He also said that all these long overdue payments must be compensated with interest incurred during the period that will enable these entrepreneurs to run there businesses smoothly again.”

He insisted that if the situation remains same then no young Entrepreneurs can get encouraged to start their fresh business in J&K, the statement reads. “Secretary General also urged LG Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta to look in to the matter and resolve this pending payment issue of crores of these small entrepreneurs of J&K and save them from humiliation and mental agony.”