Karnataka   

‘Shed negativism, have a vision of prosperity’

PANAJI: Chief Minister Digambar Kamat on Wednesday called upon the people of the State to “shed negativism” and think of the State “with a long-term vision” and cooperate with his Government to usher in development and prosperity for the common man.

Talking to The Hindu informally on the eve of the New Year, Mr. Kamat said that the people should not be taking a myopic view of everything, because it could be self-defeating.

He was talking in the context of on-going agitations across the State for long opposing up-coming projects.

“Time has come for the people to consider with maturity and a long-term view the major decisions taken by the Government in the interest of the people. Having said that, by all means feel free to pinpoint mistakes and bring them to the notice of this Government. My Government has shown that it does not hesitate to reverse decisions if they are not in the interest of the people. The testimony of this is our decision to scrap the special economic zones disregarding pressure otherwise,” he said.

To another question, the Chief Minister said he would not agree that recession had meant a decline in industrial investment for the State.

“Industries are still willing to come. What is important is that we select the right type of industry, one which generates employment and at the same time does not pollute. For us, this is important because we have to have a blend of internationally famous tourism industry with industrial development,” Mr. Kamat said.

Mr. Kamat dispelled the apprehensions that recession was leading to sickness in the industrial arena.

He said members of Goa Small Industry Association, which represents over 5,000 small-scale industries and small and medium enterprises, had called on him last week seeking some incentives and support.

He had promised them that the Government would lend them the necessary support.

Mr. Kamat, who is also holding the Finance Portfolio, said that the State’s finances were still buoyant till November. It is not affected by recession as yet.

On the issue of implementation of the VI Pay Commission recommendations, he said that recently all the Finance Ministers at a meeting of the Empowered Committee in New Delhi decided to petition the Union Government with a clear proposal that it (Union Government) should bear 50 per cent burden of the financial liability of implementing the recommendations.

On the compulsions of coalition politics, Mr. Kamat said that efforts of the Congress would be in the direction of trying to get a majority on its own in the next general election.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

‘Bifurcate Chitradurga district for administrative purposes’
‘Shed negativism, have a vision of prosperity’
Move to send team to Delhi okayed
Steps against breast cancer
Good times ahead
Probe into SIM card fraud intensified
40 injured as bus overturns
Another year, another day
No power tariff hike: Eshwarappa
A pre-poll understanding could only have brought down BJP’s victory margin
Intermittent power supply
‘More efforts required to promote Kannada’
Congratulated
Arrested
New attraction
Congress spurned offer for tie-up, says Kumaraswamy

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu