Bangalore: Minister for Major and Medium Industries Katta Subramanya Naidu has warned industries that the Government will not hesitate to take back land if projects for which the land has been granted are not started by the specified deadline.

He told presspersons at a function to launch the State's new industrial policy here on Tuesday that the Government had taken back nearly 400 acres of land allotted to industries for implementing 80 projects in various parts of the State. Most of these projects had been allotted land a long time ago but were yet to take off.

Mr. Naidu said the Government would consider returning the land to the same allottees if they were ready to start the projects according to a fresh time schedule. However, they would have to pay the existing market price for the land.

Industrial layouts

Simultaneously, the Government had begun land acquisition in all the districts to form industrial layouts. Land was being acquired mainly by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

To a question on the allocation of vast tracts of industrial land by the high-level committee headed by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Mr. Naidu said there was nothing wrong in such allocations since the industries concerned had asked for land. However, the Government was firm that all industries should be commissioned on a time-bound basis. Moreover, land granted for a specific purpose could not be sold at speculative prices.

He said the KIADB had resolved at a meeting on July 1, 2006 to acquire 8,585 acres of land in various districts for creating single-unit complexes. It had submitted a proposal on preliminary notification to the Government with regard to 3,138 acres, of which approval had been given for 2,104 acres.

On the new industrial policy, Mr. Naidu said the mission "is to promote sustained and growth-oriented industrialisation with employment and revenue generation for the overall socio-economic development of the State. A multi-pronged strategy forms part of the policy in the areas of infrastructure, human resource development, upgrading of technology, quality improvement and facilitation of easy business."

Impetus had been given to the promotion of agro-food processing industries through measures such as exemption of APMC cess for purchase of agricultural produce from farmers for processing and value addition, he said.

Thrust to HRD

Mr. Naidu said the policy gave a thrust to human resource development. Specialised skill development institutions would be set up at key locations with the participation of the private sector. The Government would extend financial support to such ventures. Further, a new scheme to provide on-the-job training would be launched for the benefit of unemployed, educated youth in different vocations. A monthly stipend of Rs. 750 would be paid to each trainee.

He said the State-level Industrial Development Council to be constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister would enable captains of industry and trade to interact directly with the Government.

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