Pic: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Dec 28: Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (KEONICS) chairman Harikrishna Bantwal in his maiden press meet as a chairman, on Thursday December 28, said that he will submit a memorandum to chief minister B S Yediyurappa urging him to sanction a model Information Technology (IT) Park in memory of first chairman of KEONICS Bantwal Ramakrishna Baliga.
Terming the Electronic City in Bengaluru as a brain child of Ramakrishna Baliga, Harikrishna said, "Globally Bengaluru is widely regarded as the Silicon Valley of India. Reason behind the Electronic City was Baliga. No one has recognised the contribution of Baliga or honoured him for his immense contribution. Today, nearly 4 lac employees are working for various companies on the 332 acre land in Electronic City. Several national and international companies operate there.
"If the government approves the IT Park in Mangaluru, nearly 20,000 youths in the district will be employed and the problem of unemployment will be solved," he said.
He also said that the issue has been brought to the notice of BJP state unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel and deputy chief minister Ashwath Narayan. "To establish IT Park, there should be cooperation from educational institutions and private sectors. And, Mangaluru is the only city in the state which has access to all modes of transportation. The information technology hub would come up base on Israel model with advanced technologies."
He further said that there is a requirement of 100 acres of land in the city to establish the IT Park and it is available. Then, Mangaluru will be identified globally, he said adding that approval has been granted to set up a software hub on a three-acre land at Derebail.