From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, May 21: As many as 70% of the industries, which had halted work during lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, have resumed work and the industrial production is slowly picking up in Karnataka.
The resumption of industrial activities in the State has also provided the stimulus to the State Government to accelerate the discussions with industry experts and international industrialists on bringing more investments,’’ Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said at a meeting to discuss the industrial climate in the State in Bengaluru on Thursday.
Yediyurappa instructed the Chief Secretary T M Vijaya Bhaskar to conduct review activities of the newly-formed Special Investment Promotion Task Force to attract investments every week.
The Chief Minister held a meeting with officials from the Commerce and Industries Department to review progress, today, at home office Krishna.
The officials informed the Chief Minister that the special schemes are being planned to encourage and attract investments into the State through the task force.
The meeting discussed that the implementation of the amended Land Reforms Act, which has eased the process of land purchasing for industrialists.
The Chief Minister felt the changes in the land acquisition norms will attract investors into Karnataka.
Several measures have been taken up to simplify the process of setting up industries at the district level, officials informed the Chief Minister.
The State Government has taken important measures to seize more investment opportunities in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestions to the States during the video review meetings with the Chief Ministers.
The State has 22 units that are producing PPE kits while 4 organisations are manufacturing ventilators. More than 40 distilleries have been licensed to produce sanitisers.
The Chief Minister directed the officials from the Labour department to take initiative to register workers under unorganized sector at Karnataka State Unorganised Workers Social Security Board in higher numbers as only 89,000 workers have been registered so far.
The economic activities have been kick-started in the state. The Jubilant Generics in Nanjangud Mysuru too has been allowed to restart operations, the officials informed.
Karnataka Building & Other Construction Workers Welfare Board has provided Rs 5,000 each economic aid to 12.40 lakh to the building construction workers.
The meeting was attended by Minister of Large and Medium Scale Industries Jagadish Shettar, Labour Minister Shivaram Hebbar, Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, Principal Secretary, Commerce and Industries, Gaurav Gupta, Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner, Industrial Development, Revanna Gowda, MD, Karnataka UdyogMitra and others.
New Hospital Inaugurated
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister inaugurated a well-equipped 30-bed maternity hospital and also laid the foundation stone for setting up a 200-bed multi-speciality hospital in Govidarajanagar assembly constitutency in the City.
Revenue Minister R Ashok, Housing Minister V Somanna, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Gopalaiah, Tejaswi Surya, MP, BBMP Mayor Gautam Kumar and others participated in the function.
Base Education Society and Base Pre-University College Employees Union office-bearers presented a cheque for Rs 11,11,111 to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund by meeting the Chief Minister at his Home Office. The Hilkal Ltd President Manoj presented a cheque for Rs 2.50 lakh while the Mangalika Company presented a cheque for Rs 2 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund by meeting Yediyurappa.