Rs 15K-cr worth industrial projects cleared in K'taka: CM

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today said the government has approved 43 proposals for the setting up of major and medium industries involving investment of over Rs 15,000 crore from January this year.
"Industry sector is one of our top priorities. During the last one year, 25,966 micro, small and medium industries have come up in the state involving an investment of Rs 2,850 crore and providing employment to 1,67,347 people," Siddaramaiah said here at the 68th Independence Day celebrations.
He added that the government has approved 43 proposals for the setting up of major and medium industries involving an investment of Rs 15,034.63 crore from January, 2014.

He said that a conducive atmosphere has been created in the rural areas to encourage rural youths to turn to self- employment avenues and added that arrangements have been made to provide up to Rs 10 lakh as capital towards the setting up of 1,000 small units.
"Coconut fibre production and training centres have been set up in Naxal-prone areas in Karkala and Sringeri," he said.
To check illegal mining, he said that the government "has embarked on e-auction of iron and manganese ore... (and) earned a royalty of Rs 216.80 crore through the sale of 7.8 lakh metric tonnes of iron ore from April to July, 2014."

He said the Goonda Act has been amended to bring all minerals, including sand-related crimes, under it.

He added that the government would encourage the setting up of units for the production of M-Sand due to non availability of river sand.
"Further, granite mine lease limit would be extended to 50 acres and the lease contract period would be increased to 20 years," he added.
Stating that the new Mineral Policy, 2014, would come into effect very soon, Siddaramaiah said Karnataka is producing 15 million tonnes of iron ore annually and the figure would reach 23 million tonnes during 2014-15.

As to the energy sector, he said measures have been initiated to cover villages for electrification under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme. Over 1.16 lakh houses belonging to below poverty line families in nine districts would be covered under the scheme in the next six months, he added.
He also said that the government will soon review its renewable energy policy.