Minister for Major and Medium Industries Murugesh Nirani informed the Legislative Assembly that close to 90% of investments received during the recently concluded Global Investors’ Meet (GIM) in Bengaluru would go to Tier II cities in Karnataka.
Karnataka received investment proposal amounting to ₹9.81 lakh crore during GIM and they are estimated to create 6 lakh jobs.
“We are not giving any incentive or subsidy for industries coming in Bengaluru”, the Minister said and urged entrepreneurs to set up their projects in Tier II cities of Karnataka.
In reply to Abhay Patil of the BJP, representing Belagavi South constituency, during question hour, the Minister said close to 90% of MoUs pertain to Belagavi, Hubballi, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Mysuru and Managaluru, among other places.
Under the one district-one project programme, he said priority would be given to Belagavi. A Gold Plus Glass, a Delhi-based company, intends to invest ₹2,500 crore in Hukkeri, he said.
A Russian firm that manufactures electric vehicles has come forward to invest in Karnataka. “We have tried to convince them to invest in Belagavi, Dharwad or Kalaburagi, and we have promised good incentives and facilities. The delegation had come to Belagavi to meet us. It is more than ₹2,000 crore investment, and we have land availability,” the Minister said.
Belagavi, a border town, was known for foundries. “We will create an industrial area in Belagavi, as this is a border area and neighbouring Maharashtra has an industrial area nearby.”
When Speaker Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri suggested offering special incentives to industries in border areas, the Minister said, “It may become an issue as border areas near Bengaluru too would seek similar concessions.”
Mr. Patil said, “It is unfortunate that industries are not coming to Belagavi. While the government has announced ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative, but investment is not going beyond Hubballi. So we are appealing to the government to do something called ‘Beyond Hubballi’.”
“The situation is that we need to ask whether Belagavi is in Karnataka, there are no industries here. It has been 30-35 years that no big industry has come here. What is the use of coming and making speeches in Belagavi when you are unable to provide jobs to youth? There is no use of any resolutions,” the BJP member said.
Pointing out to a 5,000-acre industrial estate at Kolhapur in Maharashtra, he said, “When you are preparing an industrial policy for Karnataka, give special emphasis for border district such as Belagavi for attracting investments, or else investments will go to Maharashtra since that State is offering more incentives,” Mr. Patil said.
