`K`taka ready with its industrial policy`

The draft new industrial policy for Karnataka is ready and it would be uploaded onto the website to elicit suggestions and comments from the various stakeholders, minister for major and medium industries Murugesh Nirani.

Speaking to reporters on Friday at his newly set-up office in Mini Vidhana Soudha here Nirani said the stakeholders would be given five days to send their comments and suggestions. Based on the suggestions, modifications, if necessary, would be made and the final policy document would be released in a fortnight, he added.

The minister said the state government was very keen to get an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) set up in Dharwad so the city could develop as an educational hub. He said the chief minister had evinced interest in this.

Referring to the Malaprabha third stage project envisaged to solve the drinking water problem of Dharwad and Hubli permanently, Nirani said a revised estimate for Rs 340 crore was being prepared.

The decision to revise the estimate of the erstwhile Rs 183 crore project was taken at a meeting of engineers, legislators and other officers concerned in Bangalore early this week.

Nirani said the government had released Rs 50 crore for the Rs 183 crore project and had sanctioned the remaining amount in the recent budget.

But, the engineers had demanded revision of the estimate to Rs 500 crore in the wake of escalating costs. However, the estimate was pruned to Rs 340 crore. Nirani said the implementing agency would be asked to complete the work in three years.

Replying to another question, Nirani said the government had identified 25 villages in Dharwad, Gadag, Bijapur and Bagalkot districts for shifting permanently as they had been suffering flood havoc repeatedly.

Regarding the problem of drinking water in some villages, Nirani said he would take up the matter in the KDP meeting on Saturday.