Minister for Forest and Small Scale Industries C.H. Vijayashankar said here on Monday that the State Government would urge the Centre to review its order of declaring Mangalore region a sensitive zone for setting up industries.
He told presspersons that all industries in the region were not dangerous to the environment and ecology. Coir-based industries, khadi manufacturing units, and industries using raw material from agriculture could come up in the region. Hence the Centre's order should not come in the way of setting up harmless small scale industries in the region.
The Minister said he would hold a meeting of senior officials of his ministry in Bangalore within a fortnight to address certain problems raised by small scale industrialists in Mangalore.
Mr. Vijayashankar said the Government had acquired 400 acres of land in Chelar and Balepuni villages in Dakshina Kannada for setting up small scale industries.
The villages had 176 acres of government land which was yet to be taken over. In all, 586 acres of land was available for setting up industries. The Minister said that 110 acres of land had been acquired at Nandikoor in Udupi district for setting up the industries.
A blueprint for allocating the sites to entrepreneurs in the two districts had been prepared.
He said that the Government would ensure that 50 per cent of sites in two districts were allocated to local entrepreneurs. Committees headed by the respective district in-charge ministers would be set up to ensure that local entrepreneurs got sites.
The committees would include elected representatives and representatives of industry in it.
He said local entrepreneurs had complained that as the sites were now being allocated through Udyog Mitra they were not getting priority.
Hence the committees would be set up and sites would be reserved for local entrepreneurs.
N. Yogish Bhat, Chairman and Karnataka State Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd., was present.
