Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake on Saturday said that he would talk to the Information Technology Minister S.R. Patil and impress upon him the need to set up an IT park in Udupi district.
Addressing the inaugural function of an awareness camp on export promotion organised jointly by the District Industries Centre (DIC), Udupi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UCCI) and Visvesvaraya Industrial Trade Centre, Mr. Sorake said he had already written to Mr. Patil on the issue. There is a lot of potential for an IT park in the district. There are many engineering colleges in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada district. An IT park could provide employment to those passing out from these engineering colleges, he said.
He regretted that industrial development could not catch up in the district despite reserving nearly 2,500 acres of land the purpose in the district. Large industries could not be set up in the district because of environmental concerns. Therefore it has become absolutely essential to set up industries which did not pose environmental problems, he said.
Coir, food and agro industries have a lot of scope in the district. The fisheries and food industries can thrive with more cold storage facilities. The Union government is encouraging setting up such facilities. Even small scale industries could help in generating employment to the local people, he said.
Mr. Sorake said he would study the suggestion of the UCCI to develop commercial ports at Hungarcutta, Gangolli and Kundapur, and to encourage cruise liners to promote tourism. There are some differences between the UCCI and the government departments on the roadmap for industrial development in the district. Mr. Sorake said he would soon convene a meeting of the UCCI representatives and the government officials where the differences could be thrashed out. The Union government was thinking of providing a fast train from Thiruvananthapuram to Mangalore. If such a project materialised, efforts would be made to extend it to Udupi. The demand for a monorail from Udupi to Mangalore and an alternative highway from Kollur to Subrahmanya would be considered, Mr. Sorake said.
MLA Pramod Madhwaraj supported the demand for an IT park in the district. He said the government should supply electricity 24/7 in the district or at least the taluk since it has a thermal power plant.
Prasadraj Kanchan, president of the UCCI, Balakrishna Shenoy, general secretary, Nagesh, joint director of DIC, and Ramananda Nayak, secretary of Udupi Urban Development Authority were present.
