NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is likely to visit Karnataka in March to lay the foundation stone for the long-pending Rs. 23,000 crore petrochemical complex of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in Mangalore. Mr. Singh gave an indication about his visit when Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy called on him on Tuesday.

Addressing presspersons after meeting the Prime Minister, Mr. Kumaraswamy said: "I requested the Prime Minister to lay the foundation for the ONGC project and he readily agreed. He said he will give time in March.''

Mr. Kumaraswamy sought a special grant of Rs. 500 crores for improving infrastructure in Bangalore and granting classical language status to Kannada as was given to Tamil and Sanskrit. He requested the Centre to sanction the Kalasa Banduri Nala project, which envisages diversion of 7.56 tmcft of water from the Mahadayi river basin to meet the drinking water requirement of the Hubli-Dharwad region.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said Dr. Singh asked the State Government to maintain communal harmony.

The Chief Minister called on Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Union Ministers for Finance, Agriculture, Urban Development and Railways. He made a courtesy call on President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

At the meeting with Mr. Ahluwalia, he sought approval for a project to upgrade 38 arterial roads connecting the inner areas of Bangalore with the Outer Ring Road at a cost of Rs. 516 crores, inclusion of software exports in the ASIDE (Assistance to States for Developing Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities) Scheme of the Union Ministry of Commerce for providing infrastructure for export-oriented information technology industry, and funds from the Centre for the Rs. 9,600-crore project for the development of 12 districts in northern Karnataka.

At the meeting with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, he requested early release of the second instalment of VAT (value added tax) compensation of Rs. 568 crores and approval for a World Bank-assisted project for repairs and rehabilitation in command areas of major irrigation projects.

Mr. Kumaraswamy met Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy and sought permission to borrow funds from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation for infrastructure projects in Bangalore. With Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, he discussed the proposed marketing tie-up with a Singapore-based agency for sale of surplus milk by the Karnataka Milk Federation. The issue of replacing wheat with another grain in the Public Distribution System was discussed. "The Union Minister suggested that wheat be replaced with jowar, maize or ragi. It is a good suggestion and we will consider it,'' Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

The Chief Minister also met Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and requested early implementation of various projects, including doubling of the Bangalore-Mysore line and development of new lines on the Bangalore-Hassan and Hubli-Ankola sectors.

He paid a courtesy call on Bharatiya Janata Party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said he will call on other leaders of the party, including former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, during his visit to Delhi on February 21.

Metro rail

UNI adds:

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government will take an early decision on the Bangalore metro rail project and it (the decision) will benefit the people.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail