BANGALORE: The State Cabinet on Sunday approved a proposal to set up a Biotech Park here at a cost of Rs. 103 crore. This follows a recommendation of the Vision Group on Biotechnology, which met and considered the proposal on May 2.

Transport Minister N. Cheluvaraya Swamy told presspersons after a Cabinet meeting that in the first phase, or Part A, of the project, which would be implemented at a cost of Rs. 14 crore, a building for an institute of bioinformatics and applied biotechnology would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 9.7 crore. A centre for human genetics, a research facility envisaged in the Biotechnology Vision, would be established. Hostel buildings and an administrative building of KBITS (Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services) would be built at a cost of Rs. 4.3 crore, the Minister said.

KBITS was established as a society in December 2000 to provide secretarial services to single-window agencies and extend support services to information technology and biotechnology industries.

Land to the extent of 42 hectares has been acquired at a cost of Rs. 17 crore through the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board in Electronics City, and the Government is in possession of 37 hectares.

The Union Government has allocated Rs. 14 crore through the Department of Biotechnology for the Biotech Park, of which Rs. 11 crore has been released.

In Part B of the project, a biotech incubation centre and a common instrumentation facility will be set up at a cost of Rs. 67 crore.

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