The Hindu : Front Page : `Focus will be on rural development'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 08, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

`Focus will be on rural development'

Staff Reporter

IT and BT sectors can expect a friendly attitude: Yediyurappa

Bangalore: Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who has been allocated the portfolios of Finance, Industries, Infrastructure and Excise, on Tuesday said that the focus of his maiden Budget will be on rural development. However, he has promised that the new Government will support the information technology and biotechnology sectors and not impede their growth.

Speaking to presspersons after chairing a meeting of the BJP Legislature Party at his residence, Mr. Yediyurappa said that the Government will attract investment in the IT and BT sectors by creating good infrastructure in Bangalore and other cities. The two important development and employment-oriented sectors can expect a friendly attitude from the Government. There will be no confusion in the approach of the Government to the two sectors, he added.

Mr. Yediyurappa said that the Budget will focus on removing the difficulties faced by the weavers and fishermen. On the industrial front, the policies followed by his predecessors such as R.V. Deshpande and P.G.R. Sindhia will be pursued adopting good things from them. In a nutshell, he said that he will give the best Budget to the people of the State, which is expected to be presented before March 20.

The ongoing preliminary discussions and the interactions between trade bodies and officials of the Finance Department commenced by his predecessor will be resumed after two or three days.

No to files in English

At another meeting with presspersons, Mr. Yediyurappa said that he will not sign any file sent to him in English and he will send them back to be drafted in Kannada.

This is one of the first decisions that Mr. Yediyurappa, till recently the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, has taken after he moved to the Treasury benches.

After meeting a delegation of councillors of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike led by Mayor Mumtaz Begum, Mr. Yediyurappa said he also sought patience and guidance from everyone as he is inexperienced in the task of governance.

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