Yeddyurappa to lay foundation stone for five IT parks next month
Special Correspondent - The Hindu
KEONICS to construct the parks in the next 20 months
Authority to be set up soon to provide one stop solution to IT/BT firms
The cost of IT parks will be between Rs. 20 crore and Rs. 25 crore: Naidu
BANGALORE: To attract investment in Tier II cities, the State Government has decided to establish information technology (IT) parks in Shimoga, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Mysore, Mangalore and Hubli-Dharwad.
It has also decided to set up an IT park on 27 acres of land near Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli. Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa will the lay foundation stone for IT parks in Shimoga, Gulbarga, Belgaum, Mangalore and Hubli-Dharwad in November and in Mysore and Bangalore in December.
Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology Katta Subramanya Naidu told presspersons here on Tuesday that Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS) would construct the parks at a cost ranging from Rs. 20 crore to Rs. 25 crore in the next 20 months. The park at Devanahalli would be developed on public-private partnership by Jain Heights at an estimated cost of Rs. 80 crore.
The park in Hubli-Dharwad would come up on 50 acres of land. More space in IT parks would be given to small and medium enterprises. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board would acquire land, he said.
To provide one-stop solution to companies, the Government would set up an IT/BT authority soon, he said.
Bill
A Bill would be introduced in the coming session of the State legislature for setting up the authority, he said.
Karnataka Udyog Mitra was handling investment and other proposals in the State now. “Bangalore IT.biz 2008” will be held on November 6 for three days at the Palace Ground in Bangalore. Sixty major companies had responded to the invitation, he said.
Referring to excise revenue, Mr. Naidu said that revenue collection had touched Rs. 2709.91 crore in the first six months of the current fiscal.
It was Rs. 2414 crore during the same period last year.
He said that licensing system for opening liquor shops (CL-2) and bar and restaurants (CL-9) would be changed. A committee was studying the licensing system in other States, he added.
