Karnataka - Hubli-Dharwad   

Airport Road to be made four-lane at Rs. 9 crore

Staff Correspondent

Steps being taken for industrial development in North Karnataka, says Shettar

HONOUR: Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar handing over the NABL certification to M.G. Salimath, president of Karnataka Material Testing and Research Centre, in Hubli on Saturday. MP Pralhad Joshi is seen.

HUBLI: The Airport Road (Gokul Road) in Hubli will be developed into a four-lane road with the assistance from Union and State Governments under the Assistance to States for Developing Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities (ASIDE) scheme.

Inaugurating the state-of-the-art equipment procured by Karnataka Material Testing and Research Centre (KMTRC) with the assistance under ASIDE here on Saturday, Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar said Rs. 9 crore would be given by Union and State Governments for the purpose. Already Rs. 2.5 crore had been released for the project, he added.

The Minister said with the objective of enabling industrial development in North Karnataka, the Government was initiating several steps. Under the road improvement programme, Kanavi Honnapur-Tarihal Junction and Tarihal via Gamanagatti Road had been developed, he said.

Land acquisition

After giving in-principle approval to give 650 acres of land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for expansion of Hubli Airport into an all-weather international airport, the State Government had initiated steps for land acquisition, the Minister said.

As per the recommendations of the Dr. Nanjundappa Committee, the new Industrial Policy proposed to give incentives and tax exemptions to industries to be established in backward regions of the State. The Minister hoped that the move would kickstart industrial development in North Karnataka.

On the occasion, the Minister formally handed over the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) certification awarded to KMTRC to its president M.G. Salimath.

MP Pralhad Joshi said that in the wake of WTO agreement, focus was more on quality and it had become a necessity to survive in the competitive world.

He called upon the industrialists to get help from the elected representatives to solve their problems.

Briefing about the activities of the centre, vice-president of the KMTRC M.A. Karamari said the centre was sanctioned Rs. 1.54 crore for upgrading.

Already Rs. 56 lakh had been released. The centre proposed to set up new facilities and procure new equipment with the remaining grant, he said.

M.G. Salimath, president, KMTRC welcomed the gathering. S.B. Kolar, Managing Director of Visweswaraya Technical Trade Centre; and Umakant, former managing director; and Kumbar, Joint Director of District Industries Centre were present.

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