Belgaum: Though the Investors' Meet organised by the Department of Industries and Commerce here on Thursday evoked a good response from entrepreneurs, with investment proposals up to Rs. 810 crore from 108 firms being registered, the participants were not fully satisfied with the Government's response to specific questions.

The organisers were forced to go ahead with the inauguration (scheduled at 10.a.m.) after waiting for nearly 80 minutes for Minister for Major and Medium Industries Katta Subramanya Naidu, who was at a Cabinet meeting in Bangalore. The Ministerarrived only at the fag end of the programme when proposals were submitted by entrepreneurs.

Many of the prospective investors had conditional offers and wanted to know whether the Government was in a position to provide land, infrastructure in the proposed Special Economic Zone, proper roads, continuation of the tax holiday for IT units, and permission for acquiring land for grape cultivation.

There were moments of embarrassment for the officials like when one entrepreneur pointed out that there was not even a telephone connection in the Honaga Industrial Area on the outskirts of the city.

Another said he had been waiting for nearly 10 months to get 10 acres of land to establish a pharma industry. An NRI, who runs a unit in the Udyambag Industrial Area, was concerned over the neglect of environmental norms.

Many investors said the assurance of the Government of exemption of stamp duty remained only on paper but was not honoured by the Revenue Department.

The former Minister Prakash B. Hukkeri and KLE Society chairman Prabhakar B. Kore, MLC, wanted to know what exactly the Government had planned to promote industrial growth and medical tourism in Belgaum.

Mr. Naidu reiterated the Government's commitment to encourage investment in two tier and three tier cities in the State but had no concrete answers to some questions. He said the Government was keen on achieving 10 per cent GDP and increasing the industrial growth rate to 25 per cent. It was open to setting up SEZs provided the demand came from the investors, he added.

The Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha member Suresh Angadi suggested that the Government accord priority to native investors, while outsiders be associates or partners. The meet was organised with the cooperation of the district administration and the Belgaum Chambers of Commerce and Industries at the Visvesvaraya Technological University campus on the outskirts of the city.

Mr. Naik launched a website, www.belgaumdic.gov.in, on the industrial potential in the district. Minister for Small Scale Industries Shivananda Naik; Commissioner for Industr-ial Development Rajkumar Khatri; Deputy Commissioner Shalini Rajneesh were present.

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