As part of its efforts to make even distribution of industries across the State, Karnataka would shortly come up with a Special Investment Region (SIR) Act along the lines of similar legislation enacted by Gujarat, and declare Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga the Special Investment Regions, Jagadish Shettar, Minister of Large and Medium-Scale Industries, has said.
“Industrial development is currently Bengaluru-centric and we want to distribute industries across the State by taking them to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. As part of these efforts, we are going to introduce a Special Investment Region Act which is similar to the one in force in Gujarat and declare Dharwad, Kalaburagi and Shivamogga special investment regions for focused industrial development. The bill would be introduced in the next session of the legislature,” he said.
He was addressing industrialists at an interaction programme organised by Hyderabad Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HKCCI) here on Monday.
Land Reforms Act
Responding to the criticism of the government for its recent amendment to the Land Reforms Act, Mr. Shettar termed the removal of clauses A and B of Section 79 in the Act as historic and affirmed that the changes in the Act would pave the way for rapid industrialisation.
“I had, along with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, participated in the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland. Industrialists from across the world who took part in the meet hailed Karnataka as an industry-friendly State, but expressed concerns over the impediments in getting lands for the establishment of units. Section 79 (A) and 79 (B) in the Land Reforms Act were there to harass industrialists. They were obstacles for industrialists to get lands hassle-free for the establishment of factories as well as for non-agriculture persons to purchase agriculture lands. They were helpful neither to farmers nor to industrialists. We therefore removed them. With the amended Act in force, industrialists can directly purchase lands instead of doing it through KIADB or other State-run agencies,” he said adding that the amendment would, in no way, affect the farming community or the farm sector as a whole, as it would rather increase the value of the agricultural lands.
Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board chairman Dattatreya Patil Revoor, HKCCI president Amarnath Patil, legislators B.G. Patil, Rajkumar Patil Telkur, and Basavaraj Mattimud, Deputy Commissioner Vijaya Jyothsna and others were present.
