The State Cabinet has decided to allow two private companies to acquire 1,256 acres agricultural lands directs from farmers for setting up a cement factory and solar power plants in the State.
It will permit Vasavadatta Cement Company, a unit of Kesoram Industries Ltd., situated in Sedam of Kalaburagi, to acquire 655 acres directly from framers for establishing a cement factory in the taluk.
Varda Solar Ltd. of Adani Group has been allowed to acquire 601 acres from farmers for establishing solar power plants. Varda Solar will acquire land from farmers directly in Yalburga taluk (44 acres), Aurad taluk (282 acres), and Vijayapura taluk (275 acres) for establishing solar power plants.
The industrialists will acquire lands at the market rates, under Section 109 of the Land Reforms Act, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Krishna Byre Gowda told presspersons after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
Chinese competition
To compete with China-made goods, the Cabinet has decided to set up nine clusters of various sectors. A sum of ₹500 crore has been earmarked for providing training to establish these clusters and other activities.
Clusters in textile, handicraft, leather, toys and other sectors would come up in Kalaburagi, Chitradurga, Hassan, Koppal, Mysuru, Ballari, Chickballapur, Tumakuru, and Bidar.
A training institute would be set up for providing training for entrepreneurs.
The Cabinet also decided to conduct ‘bele sameekshe’ (crop survey) through a mobile phone app in the entire State. A sum of ₹25 crore has been set aside for this. The survey will cover 2.2 lakh landholdings.
The objective is to identify the variety of crops planted by farmers and assess the crop situation in different parts of the State.
