BANGALORE: Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday called upon businessmen in the Gulf nations to invest in infrastructure projects in Karnataka.

He was addressing a meeting of the Indian Business and Professional Group in Abu Dhabi. A high-level delegation is visiting the United Arab Emirates and Oman to seek investments in the State.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said a new infrastructure policy would be announced shortly. The policy would lay emphasis on public-private partnerships for implementing large infrastructure projects. "A successful example of such a project is the Bangalore International Airport. I invite you to participate in other large infrastructure projects for which global tenders will be issued," he added.

He said the Government had taken up an infrastructure development programme in specific areas. High-quality sector-specific functional infrastructure had been envisaged in the special economic zone in Hassan, coastal and information technology (IT) special economic zones in Mangalore, food-processing parks at Malur, Bagalkot, Hiriyur, Jewargi and Maddur; apparel parks at Doddaballapur and Bellary; six textile parks; industrial clusters for foundry in Belgaum and clusters for machine tools in Bangalore.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the plan was to achieve a State GDP growth of over 8 per cent based on an agricultural growth rate of over five per cent and industrial growth of 10 per cent to 12 per cent. Emphasis would be on balanced growth of all regions and sectors. "Our industrial growth should augment the resources of the State so that the Government can focus on infrastructure development, social development and alleviation of poverty," he said.

`Go to smaller cities'

The Chief Minister called upon software companies to open or expand facilities in tier-two and tier-three cities. The Government, he said, would provide facilities. Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government was formulating a new industrial policy (2006 to 2011) with focus on infrastructure development and technology upgrading.

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