HUBBALLI: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Friday said the government is committed to developing North Karnataka as a powerhouse of industrial growth and development. He also invited investors to invest in the region by taking advantage of stable, transparent and predictable policy. Addressing the gathering after inaugurating Invest Karnataka Hubballi Conference here, Yediyurappa said “five global manufacturing clusters; FMCG at Dharwad, textiles at Ballari, toys at Koppal, solar energy equipment at Kalaburagi and agriculture at Bidar will help in boosting the economy of the region and also social development.
Stating that his government was working with the motto ‘Industrialise or Perish’ as mooted by Sir M Visvesvaraya, the CM said, “Mumbai-Chennai Economic Corridor is being developed in association with the United Kingdom and 400km of that pass through the NK region. The highest priority will be given to this project, particularly the stretch that passes through the region for industrial development”.
Emphasising that the state will immensely contribute to reaching the goal of making the country a five trillion dollars economy, Yediyurappa pointed out that his government has taken some initiatives on converting lands for the benefit of setting up industries. “By bringing an amendment to section 109 of Karnataka Land Reforms Act, agriculture land should be converted into non-agriculture purpose within 30 days. If it does not happen such land will be deemed as non-agriculture after three months,” he added.
The chief minister reaffirmed his commitment for industrial growth in Tier II and Tier III cities and assured support for industries. “As these cities have the best infrastructure and huge skilled manpower, investment in the region could benefit the industries a lot,” he added.
CIPET at Hubballi
Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda announced that his ministry will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the state government to set up a centre of Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) in Hubballi.