Srinagar, Apr 27: Stating that direct engagement helps in assessing ground realities and aligning policy responses, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) Regional Director (North) Ramesh Mishra on Monday said issues raised by stakeholders in Jammu & Kashmir reflected genuine operational challenges and would be examined.
Mishra made these remarks during an interactive session with the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in Srinagar.
KCCI president Javid Ahmad Tenga welcomed the visiting officials and said it was the first time that a Regional Director from the Ministry had visited the Chamber office for direct interaction with the business community.
During the meeting, KCCI demanded that the RoC office in Srinagar be made fully functional on the earlier Darbar Move pattern. It said the office had become largely inactive with no effective staff presence, and stakeholders were being asked to route issues through the Jammu office, causing delays and inconvenience.
The Chamber said the issue was significant as nearly 55 per cent of the total companies in the Union Territory are based in Kashmir Valley. It also sought a camp office or at least a functional helpdesk in Ladakh to facilitate access to RoC services.
KCCI also raised concern over the low participation of J&K-based companies in the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme, saying that only J&K Bank figures among the 2,000 participating companies. “While a large number of applicants from J&K are seeking opportunities, local openings remained limited,” the Chamber said. It urged the Ministry to facilitate greater participation of companies from other states to benefit local youth.
The KCCI further highlighted persistent technical glitches on the MCA21 portal, including server downtime, non-availability of forms, failed SRN generation, payment failures and issues in uploading or retrieving documents. The problems, it said, were causing delays in company incorporation, approvals and access to historical company records.
The Chamber flagged delays in approval of charge forms, complications in Section 8 company registrations, pendency in adjudication and compounding matters, recurring issues in Director KYC filings, DIN activation and DSC validation. It also sought clarity in compliance requirements for small companies, startups and producer companies.
It reiterated concern over multiple Director Identification Numbers (DINs) issued in the past due to a lack of awareness, saying current provisions impose a fixed penalty of Rs 50,000 along with an additional Rs 500 per day. It demanded a one-time amnesty scheme to resolve such legacy cases.
The meeting was attended by Registrar of Companies (RoC) J&K and Ladakh, Haamid Bukhari, KCCI office bearers, past presidents, executive members, chartered accountants, company secretaries and representatives of various companies and institutions.
Responding to the concerns, Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) Regional Director (North) Ramesh Mishra said such interactions provide direct feedback from the ground and help policymakers understand practical difficulties faced by stakeholders.
RoC Haamid Bukhari said many concerns, particularly those related to DIN KYC, DSC validation and delays in form processing, were system-driven and assured stakeholders that genuine grievances would be addressed. “Such interactive sessions would be institutionalised and held at least once every six months,” he assured.
The meeting concluded with a detailed exchange of views, with KCCI reiterating its commitment to work with the Ministry for improving regulatory efficiency, reducing compliance burden and strengthening the corporate ecosystem in J&K—(KNO)
