The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : `We will be remembered for our work'

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Sunday, Feb 04, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

`We will be remembered for our work'

S. Rajendran

`In one year, the Government has cleared investment proposals of Rs. 80,000 crore'

A SOUVENIR: Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa (second from left) at a function got up to release a booklet to mark the first anniversary of the coalition Government in Bangalore on Saturday.

BANGALORE: Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who holds Excise and Finance portfolios, has an ambitious plan to make Karnataka a foremost State and is working at preparing a Budget, which would chalk out several short and long-term plans with adequate financial support.

In an interview to The Hindu on the coalition Government completing one year, Mr. Yediyurappa said allocation of funds apart, the focus would be on implementing development projects.

Of the budgeted expenditure for this year, only about 55 per cent of the allocated funds had been spent so far and efforts were afoot to ensure that at least 90 per cent of the funds were utilised.

A trust with a corpus of about Rs. 250 crore would be constituted shortly to oversee the implementation of the Bhagyalakhsmi scheme.

He said it was imperative for the official machinery to gear up to serve the people. It took a few months for a section of the officials to accept the change of Government and this affected the implementation of welfare schemes. "A stern warning issued by Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy and myself yielded the desired results," he said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli would be commissioned in about a year and along with the commissioning of the Metro Rail, the coalition Government would be remembered as one which implemented several developmental projects. Apart from upgrading Mangalore airport, which had now been accorded the status of an international airport, the State Government was keen on developing airports at Hassan, Shimoga, Gulbarga and other district headquarters for which land had been acquired.

He said the State had seen a refreshing change in investments. People from across the world were no longer seeking to invest only in Bangalore, which was the case a few years ago. In the past one year, the State Government had cleared investment proposals to the tune of Rs. 80,000 crore which would provide direct employment to nearly 15 lakh people.

The job fair scheme of the Industries Department had had a tremendous success thanks to the new industries, which had come up and their requirement of manpower.

Earlier, Mr. Yediyurappa said the farm loan waiver scheme would be announced in the Budget and the Government would possibly impose a ceiling on the quantum of loans that would be waived since the scheme had been thought of to serve the interests of the small and marginal farmers.

Under the 4 per cent interest scheme for farm loans introduced last year, the cooperative banks and other agencies had so far extended loans to the tune of Rs. 2,300 crore so far and with the Government announcing the loan waiver scheme farmers had stopped repaying the loans.

The Deputy Chief Minister said the Government would be talking to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Department and Apex Bank and other cooperative institutions.

The Government would clear the farm loans after announcing the waiver scheme. Under the rules of the NABARD, the reimbursement of loans extended by the cooperative banks would be effective only if the recovery rate was over 60 per cent.

With reference to the charges levelled against the incumbent Government by Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly N. Dharam Singh, Mr. Yediyurappa said the State Government was ready for a lengthy discussion on the floor of the Legislature.

On the occasion of the completion of first year in office, a booklet on the initiatives of the Government was released on Saturday.

Chairman of the Nargund Agricultural Produce Market Committee Shivanna Goud who had fought for the cause of farmers released the booklet in the presence of the Deputy Chief Minister.

The others present included Industries Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu and Health Minister R. Ashok.

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