The Centre has extended the central excise package to Jammu & Kashmir for another 10 years, state industries and commerce minister Surjit Singh Salathia here on Wednesday.

The Central excise sop is on the value addition that the industries in the state would undertake on finished products, the minister said, adding the extension comes following sustained efforts by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

"Industrial sector in the state has got a boost with the government securing another 10 year extension of Central Excise Package/Refund on value addition for the state from the Union Finance Ministry. A notification to this effect has already been issued by the Centre," Salathia told reporters here on Wednesday.

The package includes extension of the existing refund on value addition to 10 more years, and exemption of requirement of 'khasra' numbers for establishing any industrial unit in the state among others.

Removal of 'khasra-specific' location would go a long way in providing an impetus to industrialisation of the state as also would result in additional employment generation.

The existing units would also be covered under the fresh exemption, he said, adding they can take undertake substantial expansion or diversification with 25 per cent increase in capital investment on plan and machinery or increase in regular employment by the same percentage.