Times News Network

Bangalore, Mar 1:Three townships for the IT sector: This is the Centre's gift to Karnataka to ensure that Brand Bangalore continues to fly high.

Karnataka's proposal that the IT sector should get three exclusive townships got the Centre's nod on Tuesday.

"The specific location for the townships have not been identified, but they will be between Bangalore and Mysore," state officials told The Times of India.

The townships are aimed at eliminating the IT sector's cry that land and sufficient infrastructure has not been provided for them in Bangalore. "This government does not want investments to go away from Karnataka.

All policy makers — state and Centre — are of the opinion that exclusive IT townships is the answer to the problem," officials said.

Documentation and details are to be worked out, as the Union budget has not made any specific allocation for the project.

In a post-budget news conference in New Delhi, all Union finance minister P Chidambaram said was: "We want to encourage such theme-based townships, which will have some industry components, similar to the Chinese model."

Bangalore is also getting an access-controlled expressway up to Chennai, to be built on design-build-finance and operate model.

A similar expressway along with industry-specific townships is being constructed by NICE between Bangalore and Mysore.

The state's proposed 4,000-MW coal-based power plant at Tadri in Uttara Kannada district got the official sanction in the budget.

The state held a meeting with chief secretary B K Das on Monday and identified the initial 1,800 acres required for the plant, which the FM said will be tendered out within December 31.

The Centre has also committed itself to the Rs 6,300-crore Bangalore Metro Rail project, which is awaiting the nod of the Group of Ministers.