The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) on Saturday unveiled a plan of action it wants the Union government to consider to spur growth in the State. It also expressed hope that the new MPs from the State would be more vocal on issues concerning Karnataka.
Though the agenda prescribes measures across a spectrum of areas, FKCCI president R. Shivakumar said infrastructure when asked to specify one area that required a major push. Speeding up projects held up for various reasons, especially environmental, would make a difference overall, in addition to creating huge employment opportunities, he said.
‘To educate, request’The apex body, representing the interests of trade and industry, has prepared a memorandum to “educate and request” MPs from the State. A FKCCI delegation was travelling to Delhi to meet them and Union Ministers on Monday. Efforts were also under way to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Shivakumar, who was addressing presspersons here, said many MPs from the State in the 15th Lok Sabha did not raise their voice in the House. Likewise, Karnataka’s mining case was not presented properly, something which Goa and Odisha were able to do, he said, and added that the government should permit legal mining and thereby avoid stagnation in industrial growth.
Underscoring the need to implement the measures, the FKCCI memorandum said a multi-pronged approach that laid emphasis on MSME growth, offered support to the manufacturing sector, encouraged public-private partnership, focussed on infrastructure, skill development and employment generation by nurturing an industrial climate of sustenance inclusiveness, resilience and innovation was needed. Priority should be given to completion of infrastructure projects facing delays. These included ‘improving connectivity’ projects such as phase I and II of Namma Metro.
The federation wanted efforts to develop major district roads to facilitate industry expansion across the State. Uninterrupted power supply, smooth land acquisition process, investor-friendly procedures for environmental clearance, coal linkages and gas allotments were needed, the FKCCI said.
