40 sq.km. Integrated IT City to Come up Near Bangalore
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bangalore, Feb 25: An ambitious project to set up a 40 sq.km.integrated information technology city, named as IT investment region, near Bangaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL) is under the B S Yeddyurappa regime’s consideration.

An indication to this effect was given during Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj’s address to the joint session of the state legislature, which commenced its budget sitting on Thursday. The governor also announced that the entire Bangalore Metro Rail project would be operational in three years.

The Governor, who speaks on behalf of the government in his address to the joint session of the state legislature, also indicated that sector-specific biotechnology parks in
Mangalore, Mysore, Dharwad and Bidar were proposed to be set up.

The state government’s new tourism policy, which is to be unveiled shortly, is expected to bring in an investment of Rs 25,000 crore over the next 10 years and make
Karnataka a leading tourist destination.

Bhardwaj mentioned that the first phase was in full swing and work from Byappanahalli to Mahatma Gandi Road in the heart of the city was progressing rapidly. As much as 70 % of the work has been completed and operations were scheduled to commence by December this year.

"My government will ensure that the entire Metro project of all reaches will be commissioned by March 2013,” he said.

Five new residential layouts were proposed to be developed, as part of the measures to meet the constantly growing housing needs of the people of Bangalore, he said pointing out that the five new layouts would result in distribution of 1.74 lakh house sites by Bangalore Development Authority. He said the government has accorded the highest priority for the development of Bangalore and approved 12 signal free corridors in the newly added zones of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.

The State Government, in an effort aimed at better administration and governance, has said that e-governance initiatives will be implemented on a large-scale and call centres to handle requests for Right to Information will be set up across the State shortly.The computerised facilitation centres with a 24X7 helpline will handle requests from citizens for information and filing of applications under the RTI Act, the governor said.

On the e-governance front, Bhardwaj said 20 KarnatakaOne centres will be operational in the district headquarters on the model of the BangaloreOne centres which render a host of services to the people under one umbrella by next month.

This programme will be extended in phases to cover all the districts. There are 60 centres of Bangalore-One operational in Bangalore city at present.

Retired judicial officers will be appointed on a contract basis to assist in expeditious disposal of long-pending cases. The milk incentive scheme wherein Rs. 2 a litre is paid to the milk producers has helped in raising the milk production by 4.5 lakh litres a day and Karnataka is now the second largest milk producer in the country. Over 120 new milk cooperative societies have been established.

Further, to enhance the productivity of the State Horticultural farms, 19 farms will be developed in collaboration with the private sector partners.

In the field of higher education, the governor said the University of Mysore and Karnataka University, Dharwad, will be restructured to serve as model universities. The Karnataka Knowledge Commission has given a set of recommendations to the Government to restructure the two universities.

In the meanwhile, admissions, conduct of examinations and announcement of results of all other universities in the State will be governed by a common calendar, he said.

On the electricity generation front, he said acquisition of land had commenced for the 4000 mw NTPC project at Kudagi in Bijapur district while the civil works for the 1600 mw venture of KPCL and BHEL at Yeramaras will commence shortly along with the 800 mw project at Yedlapur.

A mega infrastructure project with far-reaching impact on the State’s energy scenario will be the gas grid, being developed between Dabhol and Bangalore by the Gas Authority of India Limited. ``We expect to augment power generation by 7900 mw by taking up four gas-based projects in the private sector and one by Karnataka Power Corporation Limited at Bidadi near Bangalore,’’he said.

The Global Investors’ meet to attract investment and to create additional employment opportunities will be held on June 3 and 4. The focus in the industrial development will be the creation of industrial corridors to link them with core sectors like cement, steel, automobiles and information technology.

For the first time in the country, the government has initiated GIS based property assessment programmes in five cities on public private partnership basis. This will enable registration of all properties and facilitate the property owners to get a clear property title.” The scheme will encompass all areas of the State in a phased manner.

On the infrastructure development front, he said the existing airport at Hubli will be upgraded to international strandards and land is being acquired for the expansion programme. It is also proposed to develop 11 airstrips in Davanagere, Raichur, Chikmagalur, Udupi, Kushalnagar, Gokarna , Chitradurga, Bagalkot, Haveri, Gadag and Kollegal.

The special focus of the Government is on inclusive development and a major thrust has been given to extend social security cover to address the concerns of the poor. A total of 42.56 lakh beneficiaries are being extended assistance under various schemes—old age pension (8.34 lakh) , Sandhya Suraksha (10.35 lakh), Widow pension (10.12 lakh), physically challenged (6.33 lakh) and Bhagyalakshmi scheme (7.42 lakh).

The governor who has been critical of the government over the series of attacks against churches and pkaces of worship belonging to Christians as well as other minority sections, however, said law and order situation in the state during the last one year has been well under control.

"It is for the first time in five years that there has been no death on account of police firing during the last one year,’’ he said pointing out that there was also no terrorist strike during the year.

The year 2009 also showed a vast improvement in the situation on the Naxal front. No civilian or policeman was killed by Naxlas and no major law and order incidents
involving Naxalities were reported during the year, Bhardwaj said.

Fully aware of the fact that the governor’s address to the joint session of the state legislature reflects the government’s stand on issues, priorities and programmes as also the challenges, the entire opposition Congress and JD(S) termed it as ``totally directionless and insipid and lacking in foresight about the state or Bangalore’s development.

``The governor’s address is directionless and lacked foresight,’’ Siddaramaiah said and pointed out that the government had failed to outline its priorities
and no policy or programmes. ``No attempt has been made to address the various burning issues faced by people, including on power crisis and through the address only a
ritual has been completed,” he said.

The Congress leader attacked the BJP regime for making false promises during the last 20th month of its rule. ``The Governor’s speech repeated old schemes and programmes and there is nothing new to offer to the people,’’ he said criticising the Yeddyurappa for discriminating in allocation of funds and implementation of programmes to assembly constituencies represented by the opposition.

The unscheduled load shedding and the crippling power shortage will also be one of the major issues apart from the lapses in the rehabilitation of the flood affected in north Karnataka, JD(S) leader H D Revanna said promising to take the government to task on several issues including the needless acquisition of farm lands for NICE project and other industrial ventures.