The Hubballi-Dharwad Development Forum, an advocacy and facilitation group for the industrial development of the region, which was inaugurated on Saturday has sought a ‘Special Investment Region’ (SIR) status for Hubballi-Dharwad.
After Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mines and Coal Pralhad Joshi, and State Minister Jagadish Shettar inaugurated the forum here, the forum, led by chairman Vijay Sankeshwar and others, submitted a memorandum to them and urged them to enact a State Act on the lines of Gujarat’s SIR Act-2009.
Vice-chairman of the forum and vice-chancellor of KLE Technological University Ashok Shettar said that after 36 years, the same party was in power in both the State and the Centre and there was a need to reap the benefits of this opportunity.
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He said the State, particularly north Karnataka, has been neglected and has received meagre funds.
The forum urged the Ministers to create a land bank of 20,000 acres for industries, prioritise Dharwad on the Bengaluru-Mumbai industrial corridor, and develop the Durgadkeri industrial area, which was equidistant from Hubballi and Belagavi, as a defence park. The forum also emphasised the need to reserve Gamangatti and Itigatti Industrial areas in the twin cities for IT and electronics industries.
“This is the last land strip available between the twin cities and it is ideal for IT businesses,” Prof. Shettar said.
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During the inaugural meet, Prof. Shettar and other office-bearers stressed on the need to set up a Regional Industrial Development Authority as the existing set-up was too Bengaluru-centric.
They also emphasised on the need for having a special industrial policy for tier-II cities in order to ensure the overall development of the region and industries.
Mr. Joshi promised all help and said that many steps had been taken to put Hubballi-Dharwad on the trajectory of development.
Mentioning the many hospitals and availability of scores of super-specialists, he said that Hubballi could be developed into a destination for health tourism.
He said that as flight services from Hubballi had received a good patronage, more air routes would be opened in the coming days.
Mr. Joshi also said that he was making efforts to get an All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to Hubballi and the Union government was committed to establish the same in the State.
Mr. Shettar also promised all necessary aid for the industrial and overall development of the region.