From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jul 22: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has promised to come with a new industrial policy aimed at giving impetus to exports.
Addressing function at Vidhana Soudha on Saturday to confer State’s Export oriented 68 entrepreneurs for the years 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2018-20, he said Karnataka should strive to become number one state in exports from the present third rank.
Biocon, Toyota Kirloskar, HAL, Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd, GE India Pvt Ltd., and Gokaldas Exports were among the award winners.
The Chief Minister said the Congress government is determined to strengthen the Skill Development Department and enable training to youth so as to provide the necessary skilled manpower to the industries. The Congress Guarantee of Yuvanidhi is aimed at supporting the educated graduates and diploma holders to get adequate job opportunities.
He said Karnataka has been having Industrial Policy since 1980 and the government wants to give priority to the needs of the industries.
Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil said the government wants to accelerate industrial development and is ready for strengthen the small and medium industries and common facilities centres are being established in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services on private public participation model. The Tata company will be contributing 70% of the cost with the State Government sharing 30% besides extending all other support.
The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board’s functioning will be revamped and made more transparent to help the entrepreneurs. As many as 7 priority sectors in the large and medium industrial sector have been identified, he said.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar emphasized the need to decongest Bengaluru and wanted industries to spread out especially to Tier 2 and 3 cities. The government will extend all support and cooperation, he said.
Senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Congress MLA Rizvan Arshad, Chief Minister’s Political Secretary Govindaraju and Industries Department Principal Secretary Selva Kumar and Commissioner Gunjan Krishna were present.
'No Opposition leader even after two months since Polls'
Earlier speaking to media persons, the Chief Minister regretted that the entire budget session of the State legislature was held without an opposition leader in the Assembly due to the inability of the opposition BJP to elect its floor leader even after two months since assembly elections.
On the BJP-JD(S) protests and dharna outside the Assembly and in the Freedom Park, Siddaramaiah said the opposition protests outside have no meaning when the opposition MLAs failed to discharge their duties inside the legislature. The session was held for three weeks to allow the opposition to participate in the debates. But they did not come to the Assembly and wasted time in the commotion. Because of this misbehavior, the Speaker has taken action.
On the charge of JD(S) leader H D Kumarasway that his hands were tied during the JD)S)-Congress coalition rule under his chief ministership with regard to the irregularities in the NICE road, Siddaramaiah said it is a lie that the Congress had its hands tied to conduct the investigation.
"Did the Congress not support other programmes including the loan waiver scheme?’’ he questioned.
"He should have resigned immediately saying that the Congress had tied his hands. He said that it was due to his own fault that he lost the government,’’ the chief minister lamented.