The Hindu

• Roads have not been upgraded in the last eight years
• Plan to constitute industrial township authorities throughout State
• Focus on roads, streetlights, storm water drains 

Mangalore, Jan 30: Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) has taken up development of infrastructure in the Baikampady industrial area at an estimated cost of Rs. 6.8 crore after almost eight years, according to sources from the Kanara Small Industries Association (KSIA).

Project

The industrial area stretches over 940 acres and has 15 km of roads. The three main roads are three km long. KIADB had handed over the task of developing the main roads to the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) and had taken up upgradation of the remainder, which are mainly interior roads, the sources said.

The roads had not been upgraded in the last eight years, they said. KIADB would also take up strengthening of storm water drains and installation of streetlights, they added.

The sources said that the MCC had expressed its inability to develop the main roads due to a lack of funds. It had re-laid only a thin layer on 1.5 km and filled up potholes on the remaining length of the roads to make them motorable.

The KIADB had, therefore, sent a proposal to the Government requesting it to sanction Rs. 3.50 crore of funds to upgrade these roads, and the proposal was yet to be taken up, the KSIA sources added.

Revenue

KSIA president K. Ramachandra Bhat told The Hindu that the association had learnt that the Government was planning to constitute industrial township authorities to generate revenue for development of infrastructure at different industrial estates in the State.