Biotech parks for major cities

Karnataka government is proposing to establish biotech parks in prominent cities, away from Bangalore, to promote biotechnology sector. Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, in his budget proposals for the year 2009-10, said the government will take steps to establish bio-tech parks based on the recommendations of the Biotechnology mission.

He said a sum of Rs 10 crore has been sanctioned to the state owned KEONICS (Karnataka Electronics Development Corporation) to set up an IT park in Gulbarga. In order to give incentives for establishing IT based industries in the backward areas of Gulbarga division, the chief minister announced an assistance of up to Rs 20 lakh to every unit.

He said the government would promote setting up of electronic public call offices (e-PCOs) to popularise use of internet in rural areas.

Yeddyurappa also announced an assistance of Rs 10 crore for the establishment of excellent institutions, improvement of science education in colleges, universities, district level science centres and museums among others. This was based on the suggestions made by the Mission on Science and Technology, headed by renowned scientist Prof. C N R Rao on inculcating scientific attitude among the students through organising dialogues between students and scientists.

He said the government has also decided to set up ten apparel clusters with private participation in Gulbarga, Bellary, Hubli, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Shimoga, Davanagere, Mysore, Ramanagar and Chikkaballapur with private participation to provide employment to the youth.

The government will extend 20 per cent share capital to each of the cluster, on which about Rs 40-50 crore investment was required, he said. About five lakh people are employed in 1500 garment units located in and around Bangalore, he said.

The chief minister also announced that an Expenditure Review Commission will be set up to advise the state government on ways to increase implementation of more productive programmes and cut expenditure. The Commission will have experts to guide the government.

"There is a need to review the expenditure incurred on government programmes and to reduce expenditure on less productive programmes,” he said and utilise such consolidated resources in increasing the efficiency of implementation of more productive programmes", he said.