State to provide additional Rs 100 crore for city development
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangalore, March 21: Chief Minister of Karnataka B S Yeddyurappa revealed during a press conference held on March 21, Sunday that the government is planning to sanction an additional fund of Rs 100 crore for the development of Mangalore. He also announced that the government will revise the state’s tax system from April 1, 2010 since the state ranks first in the collection of tax in the country.
Clarifying issues related to electricity, he said that the government is giving priority to urban as well as rural development, adding that plans are afoot to purchase 1000 MW of power from neighboring states. He also informed that the state plans to produce 5000 MW of power in the coming 5 years in a move toward self-sufficiency.
Regarding the NICE project and Deve Gowda’s objections to it, he said that NICE is a “child of its own sins.”
The chief minister also said that plans are afoot to establish a branch of the Canara Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Purchasing Co-operative (CAMPCO) in Bangalore and to purchase land for the setting up of a chocolate factory.
The government has a lot of land within the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) limits, he said, and expressed regret that the buildings on this land have not been maintained. He said that officials will be encouraged to utilize this property to the fullest.
Revealing his plans to visit Raichur, the chief minister said that the foundation stones for houses to be constructed in 40 villages for the flood victims are being laid. He informed that a committee has been constituted to monitor the expenses and a report has been submitted. The Dr. C S Vishwanath Committee has been constituted to monitor quality, he informed.
The chief minister also said that the state has allocated a fund of Rs 10 crore to shift the Mangalore Jail away from the centre of the city and that a fund of Rs 20 crore will be allocated to provide proper facilities for school teachers. A sum of Rs 50 lakh will be earmarked for setting up a new office at Pilikula, he said. The government will sanction an additional Rs 3 crore to CAMPCO to provide subsidy to areca nut growers.
On the occasion he talked about starting of Volvo bus service between Mangalore and Manipal. He said, he will ask the concerned department to immediately start the service.
Krishna Palemar, the minster for environment, inland transport, and ports as well as district-in-charge minister; MLC Yogish Bhat; former district-in-charge minister Nagaraj Shetty; Captain Ganesh Karnik; MLC Bharathi Shetty; MLC Shrikar Prabhu, the president of the Mangalore North Block of BJP; and Monappa Bhandary, the former BJP district president, were also present.