Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries K.J. George has said that directions had been issued to the officials of the department to conduct a Land Audit and submit a report to the government.
Speaking to presspersons in Dharwad on Tuesday, the Minister said that the Land Audit would help the government know ground realities about industrial growth.
“It will help the government to know whether the companies that signed MoUs with the State government during the Global Investors Meet have actually set up their plants and also whether they have started functioning,” he said.
Mr. George said that there were complaints that companies that had come forward to establish industries in Bombay Karnataka and Hyderabad Karnataka had not yet initiated their projects. “In addition to land at subsidised cost, these companies were given incentives to make them set up their units in these regions. But, many are yet to start. Based on the Land Audit report the department will begin issuing notices to the companies that have defaulted,” he said.
The Minister clarified that if there were genuine problems, then the government would take steps to solve them. Those companies that have not made any attempt to start their industries would be asked to return land to the government.
To a query, Mr. George said that there were many companies waiting to invest in the State but declined to divulge any detail saying that any disclosure would indirectly help neighbouring States which might attract them by giving more incentives.