Owing to the demand for IIT from different organisations and districts, the State Government has decided to forward three names after weighing various options.
"The State Government will recommend three names Raichur, Hubballi-Dharwad and Mysuru to the Union Government for setting up the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) sanctioned to the state", Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced during a public function here on Saturday.
He was responding to the demand by the speakers including former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, MP Pralhad Joshi, MLA Prasad Abbayya and MLC Basavaraj Horatti for recommending Hubballi-Dharwad for setting up IIT and their mention about U.R. Rao committee’s recommendation on choosing Dharwad for IIT.
"Ever since the Union Government sanctioned the IIT there have been demands for setting it up in different districts including my home district Mysuru. During the Cabinet meeting held at Gulbarga under the then Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar it was decided to recommend Raichur. We can’t overrule the previous government’s decision. So in the light of the demands we will recommend names of Raichur, Hubballi-Dharwad and Mysuru", Mr Siddaramaiah said.
Mr. Siddaramaiah said that as per the norms the Union Government would send a team to look into the recommendations and study whether the recommended places met the requirements and then a decision would be taken. "I believe Mr. Joshi who is the State president and Mr. Shettar who is the opposition leader will throw their weight behind the demand for IIT for their region and try to get it approved by the Union Government where their party is in power", Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
"Not just Mysuru"
The Chief Minister clarified that as a Chief Minister of the State he wanted uniform development and he would be happy whichever among the three got IIT. "Let me make it clear that I will not demand IIT to be set up only in Mysuru", he clarified.
Earlier referring to the Cabinet decision on recommending Raichur for establishing IIT, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar clarified that the people of North Karnataka region would not quarrel over the issue of place i.e., Raichur or Hubballi-Dharwad. "We want the IIT in North Karnataka", he said.
