Srinagar, Jul 16 (IANS): The National Conference and the PDP have reacted sharply to Jammu and Kashmir government's decision regarding the closing of five Public Sector Units (PSU).

A tweet from the official twitter handle of the National Conference on Thursday said that instead of creating new jobs, the J&K administration seems adamant in adding to soaring unemployment numbers by terminating scores of existing government employees.

"The order is unfair and must be rescinded," the statement said.

The J&K National Conference Provincial Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said: "The whole plan behind disbanding these PSUs is to systematically disempower people of J&K economically and make them dependent on some rich cronies. All talk about jobs and employment was just gibberish. The real intention was to take control of our resources."

The J&K PDP youth wing in a tweet said: "The decision to close many PSUs by the J&K administration is appalling. At a time when J&K is fighting unemployment and there's a need to create more jobs, the admin's move is plainly an attempt to add to the rising unemployment numbers by ceasing scores of existing government employees."

Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir government had decided to shut down five Public Sector Units (PSUs) in the union territory. The letter from Lt. Governor's G. C. Murmu's secretariat on January 14, 2020, which has come to light now, said that the move to shut the PSUs has been undertaken to reduce the wasteful expenditure being incurred by the industries and commerce department in running the loss making PSUs/Corporations under its administrative control.

The letter said: "SIDCO (Small Industries Development Corporation) should manage all industrial estates of the UT to promote large medium and small scale industries. SICOP (Small scale Industries Development Corporation) shall be closed and all the industrial estates presently managed by SICOP should be transferred to SIDCO."

"J&K minerals be closed and the mineral sites being managed by it be auctioned as per norms.

"J&K Cements be privatised after assessment of its assets in a transparent manner.

"J&K Industries limited to be closed and industrial units run by it be privatised/ auctioned.

"J&K Handicraft (S&E) corporation be merged with the J&K State Handloom Development Corporation," the letter said.