Demolition drive at Navanagar

Demolition drive at Navanagar
The Hindu - Staff Correspondent

Drive to clear encroachments on roads

HUBLI: Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation will conduct a "mini demolition drive" at Navanagar, here, on Thursday to clear the encroachments on roads and drains.

The demolition drive is scheduled to start at around 7 a.m. and will continue until all the roads in Navangar are cleared of encroachments.

The demolition drive is aimed at making the roads of Navangar "wider" as most the roads in the area have been encroached by gardens outside houses. Shopkeepers have encroached the HDMC property for widening the area of their "operations".

According to HDMC sources another major area of concern to the authorities was illegal constructions over the drains.

The blocks over drains were resulting in water clogging, and damaging the roads, they said.

Roads in Navanagar are nine to 12 metres wide. However, they have been reduced to six to three metres at few places, affecting the vehicular movement, they said.

About 80 persons from the HDMC and other agencies would be participating in the drive under police protection.

Hubli airport expansion: survey of houses to begin today

Hubli airport expansion: survey of houses to begin today
The Hindu - Staff Correspondent

Residents' committee to accompany the survey team
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# About 120 houses have to be demolished: Srikar
# Survey work will be completed in 10 days
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DISCUSSION: Hubli-Dharwad Deputy Commissioner M.S. Srikar (right) at a meeting with the representatives of residents' associations in Dharwad on Wednesday.
DHARWAD: Survey on ascertaining the number of houses to be demolished for the expansion of Hubli airport will begin on Thursday.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of 25 representatives of 10 residents' associations of the areas around Hubli airport here on Wednesday. The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner M.S. Srikar.

Mr. Srikar said that 100 to 120 houses had to be demolished irrespective of the Government's decision to acquire 446 acres or 650 acres of land for the purpose.

Mr. Srikar gave a presentation on the airport expansion plan and displayed photographs and a map of the project.

He said the survey work would be completed in 10 days.

Warning the residents against middlemen, he asked them not to believe any person who promised them to get their houses dropped from the list of houses to be demolished. It was decided in the meeting to form a committee of residents to accompany the survey team.

A six-member committee comprising of Sridhar Pujar, B.G. Belliraya, G. Durgappa, L.S. Toravi, C.S. Bidari and Krishna Mane was formed for the purpose. Hubli tahsildar S.S. Nagathana was asked to provide necessary information to the survey team and the residents.

Mr. Srikar told the meeting that the survey was likely to take ten days to complete after which another meeting would be held to discuss various other related issues including acquisition process, compensation and so on.

Mr. Srikar said that no organisation or individual was entrusted with the work of ascertaining the number of houses to be acquired for the expansion project.

He asked the residents to approach the district administration for clarifications about the implementation of the project.

Assistant Commissioner Mohan Sasanur, and Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board Development Officer Ramakrishnappa were present in the meeting.

Airport land survey begins today

Airport land survey begins today
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

30 Nov, 2006 0032hrs IST
DHARWAD: The owners of the 100-odd houses coming under the project to expand Hubli airport as an international facility seem inclined to agree for consensual acquisition of their properties if the compensation offered is fair and reasonable.

This emerged at a meeting of representatives of resident welfare associations (RWAs) of the affected colonies called by deputy commissioner M S Shrikar here on Wednesday to discuss the issue.

The district administration will undertake a detailed survey of the additional 600 acres of land required for the expansion project from Thursday jointly with representatives of the people affected by the project.

Five representatives of RWAs of the colonies to be acquired for the expansion work as per the master plan prepared by the Airports Authority of India will join the survey team to make it a transparent exercise.

Shrikar told The Times of India after the meeting that he assured the affected people that the number of houses even under the revised master plan will remain unchanged at between 100 and 120 as the additional land was agricultural.

He said it was impressed upon them that instead of acquiring their properties under the Land Acquisition Act, it would be mutually beneficial if they agreed for consensual acquisition to avoid delay and litigation.

The deputy commissioner said they were agreeable to the consensual acquisition option if the compensation package offered to them was "fair and reasonable"taking into consideration the prevailing land and building costs.

The RWAs also agreed to nominate five representatives for the joint survey work to finalise the list of houses actually affected by the project so that the details of acquisition and compensation could be worked out.

Shrikar advised them not to fall prey to middlemen who were falsely promising them exclusion of their properties or a better compensation package in case the acquisition was unavoidable.

"I impressed upon them to come forward to clarify their doubts and directly deal with the district administration as far as the question compensation was concerned,"he said, and added "they agreed with my suggestion."

As per the master plan prepared by the AAI in September, 461 acres of additional land is required to upgrade Hubli airport as a national and 650 acres to make it an international facility.At present, it can take only up to 50-seater aircraft

Wockhardt plans unit in Hubli

Wockhardt plans unit in Hubli
Business Standard Reporter-Chennai

Hubli November 28, 2006
(photo:wockhardtin.com)

The Wockhardt group plans to set up its branch in Hubli next year. According to Jayaranganath, the Wolkhardt group had set up super speciality units in different cities in the country.

He said the Wolkhardt Hospital, situated on Banneraghatta road in Bangalore, would conduct heart operations on poor children free of cost.

The hospital had launched a scheme to help the poor children suffering from heart ailment.

He said normally a cardiac surgery would cost Rs 90,000 and the hospital would do it free of cost on the poor children. For the economically weaker section, it would charge only Rs 20,000, he said. The state and the Central governments would subsidise the remaining amount.

He appealed to the parents of the children suffering from heart ailment not to panic and asked them to contact the children’s unit at Wockhardt.

Jayaranganath revealed that eight children among every 1,000 had heart-related problems and two of them had severe ailment.

K`taka to upgrade Hubli airport to international standards

K`taka to upgrade Hubli airport to international standards
Business Standard Reporter-Chennai

Hubli November 27, 2006

The Karnataka government proposes to develop Hubli airport as an international airport in a phased manner. It has decided to provide 650 acres of land for the purpose.

Parliament member from Dharwad North constituency, Prahlad Joshi, who has evinced keen interest in developing the airport told Business Standard on Sunday that the decision to allot the land was taken at a meeting chaired by infrastructure development minister B Sriramulu and attended by revenue minister Jagadeesh Shettar, who is the minister in-charge of Dharwad district.

Joshi said the 440 acres of land was required to upgrade the airport to the national level and the government would be required to pay a compensation of Rs 120 crore to acquire the land. It would have to pay another Rs 20 crore to acquire another 210 acres as it was agricultural land.

Allaying fears of the citizens in the vicinity of Gokul road, where the airport is situated, that their houses would be demolished, Joshi said that there was no truth in the rumour.

Only 110 houses, which had already been identified, would be demolished and the owners would be compensated suitably, he said.

The work on widening and extending the runway, taken up at a cost of Rs 15 crore, would be completed in a year. It would enable night landing of aircraft and also increase the capacity. This will enable 72-seater aircraft to land and take off.

Simmering dissent over water project

Simmering dissent over water project
TIMES NEWS NETWORK - M L Kapur

27 Nov, 2006 2327hrs IST

HUBLI: The 24x7 drinking water supply demonstration project in select wards of Hubli and Dharwad is facing opposition from residents of the target areas even as it is nearing completion.

While some NGOs have raised objections on why it is being taken up in areas already covered by municipal water supply network, ignoring the uncovered areas, others oppose its implementation by an MNC.

But the strongest opposition to the project comes from slum areas of Wards 7, 8, 9 and 10 in Dharwad where residents are apprehensive that their water bill will shoot up manifold once it becomes operational by March next.

A meeting with the residents of these wards, held last Sunday by HDMC commissioner P Manivannan to clear their doubts, turned unruly and had to be cancelled in the face of determined opposition to the project. It will now be held next Sunday.

Similarly, at a meeting of representatives of NGOs and resident welfare associations (RWAs) called here last Saturday, Hubli Citizens’ Forum president D M Shanbag wanted to know if India lacked the expertise to implement such a project.

Shanbag was critical of the very concept of implementing it in affluent wards of Hubli which were already getting twice a week water supply even while more than half the city was not covered by the municipal water supply system.

He asked: “What is the fun in duplicating supply in some selected areas without first covering the entire city? The builder-operator has not invested a single penny, so why give it any commission on water tariff collection? Will it not be an additional burden on consumers?”

According to some experts, the selection of wards under the project was not done on scientific basis taking into account the willingness and paying capacity of the people covered.

“It was done on political considerations,” they said. They pointed out that “when the wards to be covered under the project were being identified, the then mayor favoured his ward and adjoining areas in Hubli, while the then leader of opposition in the HDMC council went for her ward and the adjoining areas.”

Another area of concern for consumers is the high cost of getting connection under 24x7 scheme and uncertainty over the water tariff structure. The NGOs engaged in the project were expected to convince the target population about its benefits, but they failed on this count.

Residents force commissioner to put off meet

Residents force commissioner to put off meet
The Hindu.com - Staff Correspondent

HDMC had convened the consultation meeting on 24x7 Water Supply Project
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# No move to privatise water supply system: Mr. Manivannan
# Another meeting will be held next Sunday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IN CONTENTION: Residents of Dharwad arguing with Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation commissioner P. Manivannan at a meeting on Sunday.

DHARWAD: The consultation meeting with the residents of Dharwad regarding the 24x7 Water Supply Project, convened by Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) here on Sunday, was put off following opposition from the residents.

The residents complained that they were not being properly informed about the project, including the water tariff fixing mechanism.

The 24x7 Water Supply Project, is being implemented as a pilot project in four wards each in Hubli and Dharwad by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation.

The project is also being implemented in Belgaum and Gulbarga. The pilot project, which was to become functional in the twin cities by November, had been delayed due to opposition from a section of residents.

The Sunday's meeting, at Nandikol Basaveshwara Temple in Mangalwarpet, was organised to clarify the doubts raised by the residents.

However, the residents did not allow the Municipal Commissioner P. Manivannan to clarify their doubts.

The residents, led by members of "Neeru Khasagikarana Virodhi Samiti" (Anti Water Privatisation Committee) said that the water supply system was being handed over to a foreign company.

This would result in people struggling for water everyday, they added. They said that once the water supply system was handed over to the foreign company for maintenance, the HDMC would lose control over fixing the tariff. They urged Mr. Manivannan to stop the project.

No privatisation

Mr. Manivannan informed the residents that there was no move to privatise the water supply system. He said the foreign company Companie Generale Desaux would only do the maintenance work and the Corporation would have the final say in fixing the tariff. He said that the company would handover the maintenance work to the corporation after two years. The State Government had set up a committee for fixing water tariff, he added.

Despite the assurances, the samiti members and the residents forced Mr. Manivannan to put off the meeting.

Another meeting will be held on December 3 at Kalabhavan in Dharwad.

DC to give report on land for airport work

DC to give report on land for airport work
The Hindu - Staff Correspondent

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Plan to develop airport according to global standards
# Deputy Commissioner to meet with residents of the area
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DHARWAD: Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad M.S. Srikar will submit a report within a week on the acquisition of 650 acres of land for the expansion of the Hubli airport.

This follows a high-level meeting convened by Tourism and Infrastructure Development Minister B. Sriramulu in Bangalore recently, involving Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar, Pralhad Joshi, MP, senior officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and Mr. Srikar.

The AAI had submitted in September two revised master plans for making the airport an all-weather one. While the first was for acquiring an estimated 446 acres of land for facilitating the operations of an Airbus-320, the other was for developing the airport according to international standards and making it suitable for handling big flights.

Mr. Srikar told The Hindu he had been asked to submit the report at the earliest and he would be doing so within a week. He had presented an initial report at the meeting based on the revised plans for the airport and would now submit a detailed plan along with the ground survey report.

Demolition

The number of houses that would be demolished for the airport's expansion would be less than a 100. The earlier plan submitted by the AAI had said that more than 500 houses would need to be demolished. However, the officials had revised the plan after an appeal was made by the district-in-charge Minister and the district administration, Mr. Srikar said.

Responsibility

The district administration had suggested at the meeting that the responsibility of acquiring the land be handed over to the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB), he said. Approximately Rs. 150 crore would be required for the acquisition of the land. Mr. Srikar said he would be holding a meeting next week with the residents of the area whose houses would be demolished to facilitate the expansion of the Hubli airport.

Water supply project to take off in Dec

Water supply project to take off in Dec
TIMES NEWS NETWORK - M L Kapur

25 Nov, 2006 2302hrs IST

HUBLI: The project to supply drinking water 24x7 in select wards of Hubli is finally all set to be commissioned by mid-December.

It was initially planned to be operative by September-end.

However, it has hit a roadblock in four of the selected wards in Dharwad due to opposition from certain groups coupled with lack of awareness about the scheme and poor paying capacity of beneficiaries.

Funded by Asian Development Bank, the project is being implemented by Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (KUIDFC). This demonstration project has been taken up in Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum and Gulbarga.

In all, about 9,000 households are to be covered under the project in Hubli-Dharwad and nearly 4,000 each in Belgaum and Gulbarga. Some 2,500 connections will be given in Hubli initially, and the twin-cities are likely to be covered by March-end next year.

According to officials associated with the implementation of the project, nearly 400 connections have become operational in Belgaum where water is being supplied up to the third floor. However, the project is facing some resistance in Gulbarga also.

Project officials attribute apprehensions about acceptance of this novel scheme in the state to the inability of NGOs entrusted with the task of creating awareness about it among the potential beneficiaries.

They say that households covered under it feel that water supply was being privatised and that they may have to pay much more once it was implemented.

In fact, the builder will operate the project for two years before handing it over to the respective civic bodies.

Dismissing apprehensions about the project, a representative of the builder-operator told TOI that probably there has been less than desired coordination between KUIDFC, Water Board and the civic bodies.

However, he said the residents covered so far under the project in Belgaum were happy that they were getting round-the-clock water supply up to third floors, "which was just unthinkable in the past."

They also save on the power required to pump water to upper floors.

However, he agreed that the consumers may end up paying slightly more than earlier, but claimed that people would not mind the burden as it was more than compensated by the quality of service.

He said: "It would mean tension free regular supply at full pressure compared to the uncertain supply at odd hours as at present. There would be no need for storage and it would also curb wastage of water in the long run.

Dharwad Utsav to be annual affair

Dharwad Utsav to be annual affair
Business Standard Reporter / Chennai

(photo source:dharwadutsav.com)
Dharwad November 24, 2006

Egged on by the tremendous success of Dharwad Utsav and the response from the cultural circles and people at large, the Dharwad district administration has decided to make Dharwad Utsav a regular annual feature.

Dharwad Deputy Commissioner M S Srikar, who spearheaded the Dharwad Utsav-2006, said a good beginning had been made in the Suvarna Karnataka year and from next year onwards the festival will be on a still larger scale on the lines of Mysore Dasara, Bangalore Habba and Hampi Utsav.

For the funds, he said sponsorship from the corporate sector and the government will be sought. The three-day Dharwad Utsav-2006 was held on November 17, 18 and 19 was a grand success.

“The aim was to create a brand image and it has been proved that we have the capacity to organise the event in a grand manner,” said Srikar.

The state government had sanctioned Rs 15 lakh for the three-day Utsav being held after seven long years. The festival offered a veritable treat to the people with a series of events to showcase the spirit of Dharwad.

Actor Naseeruddin Shah hogged the limelight with his performance in his play 'Ismat Apa Ke Naam' based on the life of the Urdu short story writer Ismat Chughtai.

The events were held simultaneously at 13 venues in Dharwad and Hubli. Dance, drama, music, painting, art exhibition, folk, seminars, poetry meet, mimicry and processions added colour and fervour to the festival.

It proved to be a people's festival with a large number of people thronging the venues on all the three days.

Leading litterateurs, dancers, musicians, painters and artistes participated in the festival. The twin cities wore a festive look with buildings and monuments being illuminated.

An exhibition of musical instruments and photographs at the residence of Hindustani exponent Gangubai Hanagal in Deshpande Nagar of Hubli was a big hit.

The festival, besides providing a feast to the connoisseurs also provided a platform for talented youngsters to prove their mettle.

The Karnatak College grounds provided a perfect venue for the events in the backdrop of the imposing monumental main building, which was illuminated.

Airport project may be delayed further

Airport project may be delayed further
TIMES NEWS NETWORK - M L Kapur

(photo source: AAI)
23 Nov, 2006 2357hrs IST

HUBLI: The Hubli airport expansion project has taken a new turn with the state government directing the district administration to submit two fresh proposals envisaging it as a national and international facility.

This may further delay the expansion of the airport as the state government has all along been pushing to upgrade it as a night landing compliant allweather national airport capable of handling big aircraft like Airbus A-320.

As per the revised master plan for expansion of the airport prepared by Airports Authority of India (AAI) in September, 446 acres of additional land is required to upgrade it as a national airport.

At present, it can take only up to 50-seater aircraft. Now, the district administration has been asked to submit two proposals to the infrastructure development department — one for 446 acres and another for 650 acres of additional land to develop it as national or international airport depending on the final decision.

This emerged at a high-level meeting convened in Bangalore on Wednesday by infrastructure development minister B Sriramulu.

Revenue and district incharge minister Jagadish Shettar, Dharwad deputy commissioner M S Shrikar and AAI officials attended.

It was felt that once 446 acres of land is acquired and the airport developed to handle bigger aircraft, there will be a problem to acquire additional 204 acres land later on if the government wants to upgrade it as an international airport.

The deputy commissioner has been asked to submit the proposals to the government within a week. He was also asked to work out details for land acquisition in consultations with the 100-odd families affected by the project.

Shrikar said in fact AAI had submitted both the plans in September itself. However, he clarified that in both the cases the number of houses affected was the same as the additional land for international airport proposal was agricultural land towards the bypass.

Meanwhile, though night landing facilities for 50-seater aircraft have been provided at the airport, so far no airline has come forward to start night services from Hubli to Bangalore or Mumbai.

Recently, Air Deccan extended its Mumbai-Belgaum service up to Hubli, which will fly nonstop to Mumbai on its return trip.

But it still remains to be seen whether there is enough traffic to sustain the new service. Kingfisher Airlines also plans to start one service in the morning from Bangalore to Hubli and back.

Another service will be from Bangalore to Delhi, which will stop at Hubli on the return trip in the evening to take Bangalore-bound passengers.

Dharwad LCV plant on Tata Motors’ roadmap

Dharwad LCV plant on Tata Motors’ roadmap

Economic Times BANGALORE - Gabriel Vaz

BANGALORE:

LEADING automobile manufacturer, Tata Motors, is planning to set up a Rs 1,500-crore plant for bus and light commercial vehicle manufacturing plant at its existing unit in Dharwad.

The company has already submitted a proposal envisaging an investment of nearly Rs 450 crore for bus building and chassis preparation. Another project for manufacture and assembly of LCVs at an additional investment of over Rs 600 crore has also been mooted, according to Karnataka’s large and medium industries minister Mr Katta Subramanya Naidu.

The total investment envisaged by Tata Motors at its Dharwad plant, Mr Naidu told ET, would be in the region of Rs 1,500 crore with roughly Rs 200 to 300 crore coming from the company’s vendors.

About 30,000 buses and LCVs are expected to roll out from the new units, which are also likely to provide direct employment to 20,000 people with ancillary units coming up in the vicinity contributing another 10,000 indirect employment opportunities, Mr Naidu said.

Though the Tata Group’s Telco Construction Equipment (Telcon), which has been operating in the twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad for almost 10 years now, had about 600 acres of land, it had sought an additional 300 acres of land for the new projects. The additional land is also proposed to be utilised for setting up vendor parks.
Both the industries and finance department had given in-principle clearance to Tata Motors to go ahead with the project, the minister said pointing out that the company had sought specific concessions in land acquisition and conversion of the VAT amount repayable over a 30-year period at 0.1% interest per annum and the supply of water at concessional rates in view of the location of the project in the backward region.

Another major concession demanded by the Tata Motors was sanction of additional soft loan amount of about Rs 100 crore repayable over a 30-year period towards the enlarged scope of the project to bring the fiscal incentives at par with other states.

However, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister and finance minister B S Yediyurappa, who had met the company’s top executives along with Mr Naidu, is understood to have agreed to extend the benefit of stamp duty exemption for land acquisition besides providing the land at concessional rates in view of the large employment potential and development of the Hubli-Dharwad region. He has also agreed to extend entry tax and special entry tax for new investments waiver for the first five years as the same has been incorporated in the new industrial policy for the period 2006-11.

The industries minister has made out a strong case for allowing states like Karnataka with large pockets of backward and arid zones in Hyderabad-Karnataka and Mumbai-Karnataka regions to extend the benefits of waiver of income tax and excise duty for a period of five years to attract investment as is being done in the case of states like Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh.

In addition to the new industrial policy, Karnataka will be launching a major initiative for skill development and job training for unemployed youth as part of the ambitious programme of creating a lakh jobs annually in the IT/ITeS and BT sectors, apparel, hospitality, security, building and construction sectors. MoUs will be signed on November 23 with trade and industry organisations like CII, FICCI, BCIC and KASSIA for providing training, the minister said.

Auto gas station in twin cities soon

Auto gas station in twin cities soon

Source: HDMC Website

The first LPG auto gas dispensing station (ALDS) in the twin-cities will be ready for commissioning in two months.

Taking the lead in this re­gard is the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPC), which is setting up the first ALDS in Hubli. "The ALDS would be ready by January or February," an HPC official informed, adding that the next such facility would be established at Dharwad.

The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has also set its sights on a prime location to set up its first auto fuel-dispensing centre in the city, which it plans to set up by April 2007.

It has begun hectic efforts to secure centrally-located spots. Last week, senior IOC officials from Belgaum and Hubli met and held discussions with Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) commissioner P Manivannan and sought his help in finding such prime plots.

Endorsing his dialogues with IOC officials, Manivannan said: "The HDMC is keen on promoting LPG auto fuel stations in Hubli-Dharwad, in view of the high pollution levels recorded in the twin-cities. But we are not sure whether we have such prime lands in the heart of the city. However, I have directed my officials to find out and re­port and that may take one or two weeks."

Moved by the initiative' taken by oil companies, Sunil Nalvade, a resident, said: "When all major cities are switching to LPG, why should Hubli-Dharwad be left be­hind? Taking into consideration the pollution level in the city and that CNG is still a distant possibility, we have no option but to fall back on LPG."

Supporting his views, State Pollution Control board officials said auto gas units would facilitate installation of the required conversion kits in vehicles on a large scale.

Hubli-Dharwad already has over 10,000 private cars and auto rickshaws that run

on LPG and the setting up of auto gas stations may see a ten-fold increase in such cars.

Highlighting the significance of auto LPG stations, S R Kulkarni, an IOC officer, said LPG, which is commonly referred to as the "green fuel", reduces air pollution to a great extent because of its lead-free characteristic.

Moreover, he said auto LPG gas is very cost-effective as it operates at one-third the cost of conventional fuel and is increasingly becoming popular with automobile owners.

The saving for vehicles running on auto gas works out to around 40 per cent, he said. While one litre of auto­gas is priced ataround Rs 25, the same quantity of petrol is around Rs 57.

"The consumption of LPG is approximately 10 per cent more than petrol to obtain equivalent mileage," he added

Investors shy away from IT Park

Investors shy away from IT Park

TIMES NEWS NETWORK - M L Kapur

21 Nov, 2006 2256hrs IST

HUBLI: The government's initiatives to take information technology (IT) to Tier-II cities may well seem halfhearted if one goes by the fate of the state-of-the-art IT Park here. There are virtually no takers for more than 2 lakh sqft of space ready for occupation.

The Hubli IT Park, developed at a cost of Rs 45 crore, is managed by Keonics on behalf of the Software Technology Parks of India and attempts to sell the idea to potential IT/ITeS investors have come to naught. Sources attribute this to lack of imaginative marketing strategy. While inaugurating the IT Investors' Meet here on May 20, chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced a conditional offer to attract new investors. The package envisaged competitive rates comparable with neighbouring states.

The offer was valid for a period of six moths, which lapsed earlier this week without attracting a single new investor. Neilsoft, a Pune-based engineering software solutions firm, had set up base here a day before the investors' meet.

Sources said what worked against attracting potential start-up ventures was the condition that concession would be given to firms which take a minimum of 10,000 sqft of space. Not many new ventures need that kind of space.

Keonics deputy manager H Devanand said that many firms, including the BPO arm of ICICI, made inquiries about the facilities available here, but no deal has been struck so far since the package was announced.

Meanwhile, certain other investors like Bangalore based Sankalp Semiconductors, who need limited space to expand to this Tier-II city, have set up their development centre on the BVB Engineering College campus.

It is learnt that both Neilsoft and Sankalp Semiconductors are satisfied with their decision to set up base in Hubli. Both companies have plans to expand their capacities here in the near future.

According to sources, the state government is learnt to have put its final seal of approval on HDMC's proposal to allot 25 acres of its land in Rayapur to five IT/ITeS companies. Another 25 acres is also on offer to some other IT companies in the queue.

Yeddi lays stone for mini Vidhan Soudha

Yeddi lays stone for mini Vidhan Soudha
Newindpress.com

Sunday November 19 2006 11:01 IST

HUBLI: Deputy Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa laid foundation stone to the mini Vidhan Soudha here on Saturday.

Speaking after performing bhoomi pooja to mark the beginning of the construction work of mini Vidhana Soudha, Yediyurappa asked the Karnataka Housing Board officers to complete the construction work of Soudha at a cost of Rs 6 crore within a year.

He said that government would earmark funds in the budget to hold zilla utsavs in each district every year. Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar said that he was pressuring the State Government since 1994 to construct a mini Soudha in Hubli, and it was JD (S)-BJP government which strived to meet the long-cherished dream of the residents.

Hubli-Dharwad One: For the convenience of citizens, Hubli-Dharwad One tele-centre would be set up in twin cities on par with Bangalore-One within a month. It would benefit citizens to pay various bills under one roof, he said.

Shettar said the government bought 5.74 lakh quintals of onion under the minimum support price scheme and the government had spent Rs 30 crore on the scheme so far. A meeting chaired by Tourism and Airport Infrastructure Minister B Sriramulu, would be convened next month here, to discuss the measures to be taken for Hubli airport upgradation, he added.

MP Prahlad Joshi, MLA Chikkanagoudar, M S Srikar, Deputy Commissioner and others were present on the occasion.

‘Shettar misleading people’

‘Shettar misleading people’
Newindpress.com

Friday November 17 2006 10:29 IST

HUBLI: Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar is misleading the people of Hubli-Dharwad stating that the inclusion of twin cities under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renovation Mission was a closed chapter, said president, JNNURM and Kalasa-Banduri Project Implementation Action Committee, Anilkumar Patil.

Patil told reporters here on Thursday that Shettar had never shown interest to bring pressure on the Centre seeking the inclusion of Hubli-Dharwad under the programme.

Stating categorically that the Action Committee led by himself was not affiliated to any political party and was a sheer non-political entity, Patil said that Shettar and MP Prahlad Joshi had held former Chief Minister Dharam Singh responsible on many occasions for non-inclusion of twin cities under the Mission.

In reality, it was Dharam Singh who first given preference for Hubli-Dharwad under the scheme only after Mysore, Gulbarga and Hassan.

But, it was Shettar, who remained inactive despite being a minister when it was learnt that twin cities were dropped out of the scheme, he said.

He said that he was informed by Union Minister of State for Planning M V Rajashekharan that twin cities have not been dropped out of JNNURM permanently, and the proposal was under consideration of union ministry of urban development as inclusion of more cities under the scheme required some relaxation of policy matters.

Some politicians are trying making ‘scapegoat’ by taking out malicious propaganda, alleged Patil stating that he would take a delegation to Union Urban Minister Jaipal Reddy in New Delhi seeking inclusion of the twin cities under the Mission.

Kingfisher's Hubli-Bangalore flight soon

Kingfisher's Hubli-Bangalore flight soon
Source : Moneycontrol.com

2006-11-14 08:50




(photo source:flykingfisher.com)

Hubli: Kingfisher Airlines will start daily air services between Hubli and Bangalore by the month end, the Chairman of Kinghfisher Airlines, Mr Vijay Mallya, has said.

He was speaking to presspersons during a brief stopover at Hubli Airport on his way to Mumbai. Mr Mallya said the air services between Hubli and Bangalore would be twice in a day - one in morning and another in the evening. Businessmen and executives need not wait or stay for another day to catch the next flight, he said.

He said the airlines would also be starting daily flight between Bangalore and New Delhi by the month end. On the airfare, he said it would be proportionate with the quality of service provided by the airlines.

Mr Mallya said the company wants to capitalise on the tourism potential that North Karnataka has and is contemplating on starting air services to tourist centres in the region.

He also said his company is keen on restarting the Mysore Airport and is even ready to invest for the purpose. He said he would be discussing the same with the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Praful Patel.


Taken from Business Line

Hubli airport to get night landing facility

Hubli airport to get night landing facility
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

13 Nov, 2006 2351hrs IST
(photo source: AAI)
HUBLI: The recent wedding of civil aviation minister Praful Patel's daughter with the son of former minister R V Deshpande's son may prove to be a blessing for Hubli airport. It may get night landing facility for wide-bodied aircraft sooner than expected.

During a brief stopover here on his way to Haliyal to attend the wedding reception last weekend, Patel had assured a delegation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry that the facility will be in place in another fortnight or so. Absence of night landing and take-off facility had prevented private airlines from starting regular flights from Hubli. Airports Authority of India has been entrusted with the job, but the work has been delayed for long.

Enthused by this, Kingfisher Airlines chief Vijay Mallya, who also touched down here while returning after attending the reception, said he will start services linking Hubli with Bangalore and Delhi by November-end.

Mallya said he planned one service in the morning from Bangalore to Hubli and back. Another service will be from Bangalore to Delhi,which will stop over at Hubli on the return trip in the evening to take Bangalore-bound passengers.

As per the revised master plan, AAI will require 446 acres of additional land to upgrade the Hubli airport to allweather, night landing complaint facility capable of taking wide-bodied jets like Air-bus A-320s.

Al-Qaeda threat to S India airports

Al-Qaeda threat to S India airports
CNN-IBN -Karma Paljor

Posted Thursday , November 09, 2006 at 14:26

ALL SYSTEMS GO: Airports in the region have been asked to enhance security.

New Delhi: Security at airports in South India has been heightened after the Trichy Airport Director received a letter threatening bomb blasts.

The letter, which was in Tamil says, “al-Qaeda terrorists are going to bomb Chennai airport. It added that suicide squads have penetrated airports in Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, Coimbatore and airports in Kerala.”


However, the Tamil Nadu police says there are no specific intelligence inputs to corroborate the contents of the letter but they are taking no chances and will increasingly monitor vehicle entry inside the Chennai Airport.


Authorities at other airports are also taking the threat seriously. They have put in place additional security measures. There is an increased checking of passengers and their baggage is being randomly checked.


Even in the Bangalore airport, which is not is mentioned in the letter has been put on high alert.


An anti-hijacking squad has been alerted in Karnataka and Mangalore, Bangalore and Hubli airports have been put on high alert.


The police have also said that they are going to ask passengers to come in well in advance to the airports to allow security checks to be finished on time.


Along with other precautionary measures, more armed personnel have been deployed at airports and the authorities have increased surveillance inside and outside airports.


Meanwhile as investigating agencies are investigating the letter, the authorities are leaving nothing to chance because the airlines today are the favourite targets of the terrorists.


(With Inputs from Roshni Menon and Veeraraghav)

BJP holds protests in twin-cities

BJP holds protests in twin-cities
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

10 Nov, 2006 0017hrs IST

HUBLI/DHARWAD: Activists of the city unit of BJP burnt an effigy of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday to lodge their protest against the noninclusion of Hubli-Dharwad under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

Nearly 50 BJP leaders and workers held a rally near Kittur Chennama Circle in Hubli and Alur Venkat Rao Circle in Dharwad and raised slogans against Sonia Gandhi for failing to keep her promise on including the twin cities under the JNNURM scheme.

Earlier, they held a procession, carrying flags and placards, which passed through the main roads. The BJP workers demanded the resignation of Sonia Gandhi in this regard.

In Dharwad, BJP leaders met officials of the district administration and handed over a memorandum to be forwarded to President Abdul Kalam. The memorandum demanded his intervention in the matter.

Addressing protesters, BJP leaders said Hubli-Dharwad lost the chance of being included under the scheme during the tenure of the previous government led by Congress. The Centre had earlier selected the twin cities for the project.

But former CM Dharam Singh spoiled the show by including Mysore, Gulbarga and Hassan.

The leaders said the mega project would have ensured a whopping grant of Rs 500-700 crore for the development of the twin cities over the next five years. Injustice meted out to north Karnataka had to be addressed immediately by including the twin cities under the JNNURM, otherwise the BJP will launch a major agitation, they said.

Building owners will get one last chance

Building owners will get one last chance
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

10 Nov, 2006 0018hrs IST

HUBLI: The Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation is all set to do a Delhi as regards regularising illegal commercial buildings. But before that, it is giving one final chance for building owners to fall in line.

If owners of commercial buildings having built-up area of over 2,000 sqft fail to obtain the completion certificate (CC) or building permission before November 30, the corporation will proceed to take strict action, which will involve eviction of tenants and sealing the building in three phases HDMC commissioner P Manivannan cautioned.

The HDMC has also come out with a series of measures aimed at simplifying the procedures of getting the completion certificate as part of its endeavour to regularise 407 illegal commercial buildings in the twin cities.

In the first phase, Manivannan said the municipal corporation will take up regularisation of about 120 buildings that have already been listed in the HDMC website www.hdmc.gov.in. Occupants or those doing business in major complexes have been asked to log on to the website to ensure whether their building is listed in the website. If it is, then such owners should apply for CC by submitting an application in a prescribed form that is available at the concerned zonal office.

Manivannan said if the HDMC is satisfied that there are no major deviations or violations of building bylaws, it will ensure that one gets the CC within a week. Otherwise, the owners will be liable to pay penalty, he added.

And those who have already submitted applications and awaiting a CC need not panic as the corporation will not take action, provided they produce proof of such application by collecting an extract of the application.

To avail the extract of the application, they should approach the concerned zonal offices and make an application. If such extract is not given within seven days of making application, they can directly lodge their complaint with the commissioner through email (mani300bc@gmail.com).

Where occupants of such buildings have already obtained CC, they still need to produce a photostat copy of the CC before the concerned zonal office for deletion of their name from the list before November 30.

To eliminate any kind of nepotism and discrepancies, Manivannan said they have constituted three task forces headed by the concerned division executive engineers and NGOs.

In case of buildings built without valid building permission, the commissioner said such builders should immediately submit a revised building plan to the office of the deputy director of town planning (HDMC) before November 21.

If the building has been built before 1976, HDMC will not take any action unless it has other reasons, he said adding that owners of such buildings have to declare the details with necessary proof before the concerned zonal office before November 30.

Explaining the significance of such a drive, Manivannan said under Section 310 of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, occupation of any building without a valid CC from the municipal corporation is illegal and punishable offence. Also, such buildings are liable to be sealed by the Corporation after evicting the occupants.

Such an action is necessary in the interest of citizens as buildings,which are occupied without CC will generally not be certified by HDMC, fire department or electrical inspectorate and hence they are prone to cause problems like traffic bottlenecks, fire tragedies, among other nuisance, he asserted.

Will they, won't they?

Will they, won't they?
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

9 Nov, 2006 0143hrs IST

HUBLI: The Hubli-Dharwad traffic police seem to be tripping on their toes as regards the experiment to ban movement of manganese and iron-ore laden trucks on city roads during daytime. In the last three years, the police
have mooted the ban time and again but failed to put it into practice, thanks to the tactful lobbying of truckers' union.

The latest experiment to impose a ban on movement of heavy trucks between 7 am and 11 pm, which had come in for appreciation, now looks to be meeting the same fate if one goes by the developments at the meeting between Karnataka state lorry owners' association and police on Monday.

Citing the developments at the meeting, association presidents said police commissioner Narayan Nadamani have given a formal assurance to relax the ban except during school hours. The assurance came after the association office-bearers told him that they were ready to withdraw their stir against the ban from November 10.

While top police officials are worried that all efforts made to restrict the entry of heavy trucks during daytime will go in vain if the ban is relaxed, residents are apprehensive that the traffic scenario in Hubli-Dharwad may return to the square one.

They have reason too. When a similar ban on trucks was imposed during the tenure of previous police commissioners, the truckers had managed to bring pressure on them and get the ban relaxed. In fact, the residents here had
wholeheartedly welcomed the move when the ban was imposed as it reduced the traffic load by nearly 30 per cent on city roads.

It was not only the residents, but even policemen in lower ranks, who were weary of regulating traffic, had heaved a sigh of relief. Interestingly, the state truckers' association had once again offered to chip in Rs 1 crore to develop an alternate road between Gadag Road and PB Road.

About six months ago, the association had also promised to contribute to road works after the HDMC passed a resolution seeking a ban on movement of trucks in the city.

Moved by the association's magnanimity, the HDMC had incorporated a plan to develop the alternative road under build-own operate-transfer(BOOT) basis at a cost of Rs 4 crore. But they backtracked at the eleventh hour citing some reasons.

Meanwhile, various organisations in Hubli-Dharwad have threatened to launch an agitation if the police relax the ban. "We are aware that the truckers are trying various means to get the police to relax the ban. We would not tolerate any move by the police to withdraw or relax the ban", said Laxman Korapatti of City Ambedkar Association.

Twin cities lose out on central scheme

Twin cities lose out on central scheme
MANU AIYAPPA -TIMES NEWS NETWORK

9 Nov, 2006 0129hrs IST

HUBLI: The twin cities of Hubli-Dharwad have suffered yet another setback on the development front. The Union urban development ministry has rejected the state government's renewed proposal to include Hubli-Dharwad under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) stating that it will set a precedence for other states to make similar proposals.

Chief minister H D Kumaraswamy was informed about this when he met Union urban development minister Jaipal
Reddy in New Delhi on Tuesday. The only silver lining: Reddy has agreed to release more funds to the state to compensate for hold-up.

The development has obviously irked residents of the twin cities by and large since they had pinned hopes on AICC chief Sonia Gandhi. Addressing a public rally in Bangalore on September 3 to welcome former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah into the Congress fold, party president Sonia Gandhi had announced the inclusion of Hubli-Dharwad under
JNNURM describing it as a gift to the people of Karnataka.

"This is really bad news. The politicians are playing with sentiments of people for their political gain. Sonia Gandhi, holding such a responsible position, should have consulted the concerned minister before making
it public", an aggrieved resident Anil M Desai said.

Ruing on the setback, another resident Sunil Pujar sounded a bit caustic, "We, the people of north Karnataka, are used to such setbacks and it's high time we learnt a few lessons. We are doing well without being included in such schemes. Let us all move ahead as a cohesive unit. Let's work together for our cities. It is better we stop relying on our public representatives for the betterment of cities and towns."

Some Non-Resident Indians, who had launched an e-crusade to demand the inclusion of Hubli-Dharwad under JNNURM, were also disappointed. Some natives of Hubli-Dharwad residing overseas had also volunteered to launch a chain of protest by observing day-long fast to express their solidarity, to insist that the Union government include the twin-cities under JNNURM.

"Through our e-movement, we thought we would send a strong signal to the Union government. But it is really unfortunate that it has not happened", rued some NRIs. Their anguish is also made known on a group site. Under the JNNURM, the Centre had first selected Bangalore from Karnataka under the category of metros with 4 millionplus population. It had asked the state government to send proposals regarding heritage and other cities with 5-15 lakh population.

Former chief minister Dharam Singh sent a letter on November 29, 2005, requesting the Union urban ministry to include the twin cities under the scheme. But bowing to political pressure, Dharam Singh again wrote on December 7, 2005, to the Union government urging him to include Hubli-Dharwad and Gulbarga along with Mysore.

This virtually spoiled the show as the guidelines of the mission clearly stated that only one city should be recommended under the 'C' category. Singh overlooked them, and as a result, the steering committee decided to go by the initial list. This attracted widespread protest from various quarters.

As a damage control exercise, Sonia Gandhi, during her visit to Bangalore, assured the people of Karnataka that Hubli-Dharwad would be included under JNNRUM once again, reviving the hopes of residents here.

‘Baro Sadhanakerige Authority’ runs into rough weather

‘Baro Sadhanakerige Authority’ runs into rough weather
The Newindpress.com

Sunday November 5 2006 10:50 IST

DHARWAD: The proposal of the Dr Da Ra Bendre National Trust to form the ‘Baro Sadhanakerige Authority’, is running into rough weather as residents here, have expressed grave concern over the proposal, fearing displacement if the Authority came into existence.

The Bendre Trust had sent a proposal to the State Government, pleading to form the authority with a view to develop Sadhanakeri, the area wherein, poet laureate and Jnanapeeth awardee, Dr Da Ra Bendre resided, as a tourist spot, on the sprawling 25 acres.

On September 12, Minister for Tourism B Sriramulu expressed the government’s readiness to establish an authority to develop Sadhanakeri in response to the memorandum submitted by Bendre Trust chairman, Dr M M Kalburgi.

As per the proposal, the land would be acquired, keeping the Sadhanakeri tank as a central point and developed, as per Dr Bendre’s dreams. The Trust proposed to raise a mini forest and animal park. Besides, laying of tar roads, construction of walls, boating and other amusement facilities, there, were also proposed.

Expressing concern over the proposal, the Sadhanakeri Sarvajanika Sahithyabhimanigala Sangha, urged city MLA and former Minister, S R Morey, to ensure that no resident of the area, would be displaced if the state government acquired the said 25 acres.

The Sangha complained that, so far, neither did the residents of Sadhanakeri, have any information about the availability of 25 acres, nor did the Trust bother to keep them informed.

Da Ra Bendre, under his chairmanship, had started a Kannada medium school and started the Sadhanakeri Vidyabhivrudhi Samithi (SVS), with the intention of imparting education in Kannada.

Stating clearly that no resident would be displaced due to the proposed works, Bendre Trust Chairman M M Kalburgi, in a release issued here, said, ‘‘The Authority would create a cultural environment in and around Sadhanakeri. It was needed for Dharwad, in view of tourism development. Hence, the public should extend their co-operation, despite minor problems.’’

People gear up for Dharwad Utsav

People gear up for Dharwad Utsav
Newindpress.com

Thursday November 2 2006 11:44 IST

DHARWAD: The district administration has made elaborate arrangements to hold a three-day cultural Dharwad Zilla Utsav scheduled to start from Nov 17.

Speaking to reporters after officially launching the website of Dharwad Utsav, Revenue and District incharge Minister Jagadish Shettar assured to make the Utsav a permanent feature on lines of ‘Hampi Utsav’. He said he has requested the State government to earmark sufficient funds in the State budget every year, as it was being organised after a gap of seven years.

The festival intends to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the region and provide a forum for young and the upcoming artistes, he said, adding that the response of the local cultural community was overwhelming. The State government has released Rs 15 lakh for this event.

The fest provides free entry to all. The website- www.dharwadutsav.com offers programme details, information on music maestros, places of historical and cultural importance in and around Dharwad, and profiles of all artistes performing in the Utsav. Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj Horatti, speaking after releasing the itinerary of the Utsav, said that participation of the general public is very important to encourage artistes and to make the event a grand success.

He appealed to writers and artistes of the district to give their best to make the Utsav a model one.

Deputy Commissioner M S Srikar informed that the Utsav will be held simultaneously at seven venues- Dr Mallikarjun Mansur Kala Bhavan, Srujana Ranga Mandir, Karnataka Vidyavardhak Sangh, R N Shetty Stadium (all in Dharwad), Sawai Gandharva Hall, KIMS Auditorium and Indira Glass House (in Hubli).

Naseeruddin Shah will stage the famous play Ismat Aap Ke Naam on this occasion. Dharwad Zilla Utsav is scheduled to start from Nov 17.

Fanfare marks Rajyothsava in Hubli - Dharwad

Fanfare marks Rajyothsava in Hubli - Dharwad
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

1 Nov, 2006 2256hrs IST

HUBLI: The Rajyotsava celebrations in Hubli- Dharwad this year received a warm response with a large number of people turning up to witness the day's events.

The Suvarana Karnataka Rajyotsava celebrations were marked by a colourful procession here. Revenue and district in-charge minister Jagadish Shettar inaugurated the procession after offering floral tributes to Goddess Bhuvaneshwari at the historical Siddaruda Mutt premises here.

Students from various schools in the city participated in the procession. Troupes performing 'Veeragaase', 'Kamsale', 'Puja Kunitha' and 'Dollu Kunitha' added glitter. A large number of women also participated in the procession, which passed through the main thoroughfares of the city before culminating at Nehru Maidan.

The statue of Rani Channamma at Channamma Circle was garlanded by many leaders even as procession passed through the area. Cultural programmes were held in the evening in different parts of the city.

DHARWAD: The golden jubilee of the formation of the state was celebrated in Dharwad with much pomp on Wednesday. District in-charge minister Jagadish Shettar hoisted the flag at the R N Shetty stadium and received salute from the NCC, police, Home Guards, Scouts and
Guides and other contingents.

A portrait of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari was taken out in a procession through the city. Tableaux depicting the rich heritage of Karnataka
and achievements of the state attracted onlookers. Speaking on the occasion, Shettar said the state government was making honest efforts to implement the recommendations of the Nanjundappa committee for development of backward taluks identified by the panel. He said steps had been taken to fully implement Kannada as the official language in the administration.

As part of the Suvarna Karnataka year, the government proposes to hold several programmes throughout the year. Suvarna Karnataka
cultural complexes are being constructed at Dharwad, Gulbarga, Shimoga, Udupi, Madikeri, Belgaum and Bangalore. The cultural
complex, being constructed in Dharwad at a cost of Rs 1.27 crore, will be completed soon, Shettar said.

Explaining about the programmes envisaged for development of villages during the Suvarna Karnataka year, Shettar said the zilla
panchayat had selected six villages for implementation of Kugrama-Suvarna Grama programme at a cost of Rs 55 lakh. Of this, the government has released Rs 29.29 lakh and work is already in progress.

Elected representatives, students, teachers, officials, citizens, freedom fighters and artistes participated in the celebration. The minister presented 'Naagarika Seva' awards to veterinarian Rakesh, tahasildar M L Trivikram Rao and R B Pattar of revenue department. MP Prahlad Joshi, MLC Veeranna Mattikatti, zilla panchayat vice-president B B Gangadharmath, deputy commissioner M S Srikar, police chief Narayan Nadamani, SP Srikanthappa and others were present.

Four-lane to ease airport ride

Four-lane to ease airport ride
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

1 Nov, 2006 0154hrs IST

HUBBALLI: Finally, the authorities here have decided to take on head-on the mess caused by traffic jams on Airport Road, popularly known as Gokul Road.

The National Highways department and PWD will jointly take up a project to convert the present two-lane road into a four-lane stretch from Hosur to Airport. Giving this information, Dharwad (North) MP Prahlad Joshi said the design has been finalised and work is expected to be taken up within the next two months. The whole project is estimated to cost Rs 9 crore, he added. He said the frequent traffic jams on Gokul Road had become a very serious problem that required an lasting solution. Four-laning of the road appeared to be the only viable solution, he added.

According to him, The project has been finalised by the centre and state government to upgrade the 5.6-km stretch between Hosur Circle and Airport. The state export promotion committee already accepted the proposed Rs 9 crore joint project in August. A sum of Rs 4.5 crore will be released under the central government's Assistance to States for Infrastructure Development for Exports (ASIDE) scheme and the state PWD will pay Rs 4.5 crore.

The state government should immediately release at least Rs 2.7 crore of its share to start the process of issuing notifications and tender. "The government should release the funds on a priority as a delay on its part will result in diversion of funds.

Karnataka keen on setting up SEZs

Karnataka keen on setting up SEZs
The Hindu.com

Udupi, Nov 1. (PTI): The Karnataka Government is keen on setting up Special Economic Zones in cities like Mysore, Mangalore, Shimoga, Hassan, Udupi, Karwar, Hubli, Dharwad, Gulburga, Bidar and Belgaum, State Heavy Industries Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu said here.

In Gulburga, Hubli, Dharwad, Bidar and Belgaum, the Government was already holding talks with private parties, he told reporters.

Efforts were being for creation of more SEZs in the State for promoting economic and industrial growth, he said.

Under the two-tier city development scheme, the Government has given more thrust on promoting information and bio technologies, tourism, gem and jewellery, garment and automobile sectors in the coastal districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttar Kannada, he said.

To make the licencing process hassle free, the Government had given several concessions in its new industrial policy.

He said the Ministry had given approval for 482 units with a total investment of Rs 9,650 crore through single window clearance system from February till October this year.

Another 59 units with a total investment of Rs 74,000 crore were approved by a high-level committee, he added.

Kumaraswamy on renaming spree - Hubli to become Hubballi

Kumaraswamy on renaming spree
Times Now.tv

Wednesday, November 01, 2006 06:50:43 am

Bengalooru: Today, as Karnataka celebrates the golden jubilee of its formation, the state's Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, celebrates as The Times of India Bangalore edition's Guest Editor. An avid follower of news, Kumaraswamy will be contributing some headlines himself.

One that will definitely make it is the renaming of 9 major cities in Karnataka. Apart from capital Bangalore becoming Bengaluru, Gulbarga will be known as Kalburgi, Shimoga as Shivamogga, Belgaum to Belagavi and Hospet to Hosapete. Besides this, Chikmaglur will be renamed Chikka-magaluru, Hubli will be Hubballi, Mangalore will be Mangaluru and finally Mysore becomes Mysooru.

But the names will not come into effect right away as there are some governmental procedures that are yet to be completed.

Says the CM, "These names are being sent to the Central Government for their approval and only on their gazette notification would these names be finally changed."

When the proposal to change Bangalore's name was floated, there had been opposition from many fronts. But Kumaraswamy stuck to his plans, making it clear that keeping the Kannadiga votebank was high on his priority list.

(By Madhavdas Gopalakrishnan)