Pointing at the “improper implementation” of special status offered to Hyderabad Karnataka region under Article 371(J) of the Constitution, Hyderabad Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries (HKCCI) demanded that the State government set up a new Ministry for exclusively focussing on development issues taken up under the provisions of the Article.
In his interaction with the media here on Monday, Amarnath C. Patil, president of HKCCI, said that Hyderabad Karnataka Regional Development Board (HKRDB) had failed to serve its purpose due to various issues, including dearth of human resources.
“The purpose of Article 371(J) is not being served. The experience in the last four years has proved beyond any doubt that the HKRDB in its present structure and condition cannot do much for the region’s backwardness. A number of recommendations made by the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by H.K. Patil concerning the implementation of Article 371(J) has remained only on paper. HKRDB is not in a position to even completely spend the special grants released. Only an exclusive Ministry headed by a member from the region alone can serve the purpose of the Article,” he said.
Pointing at Vidarbha, Telangana and other regions that were accorded special status under different sub-clauses of Article 371 of the Constitution and received special grants from the Union government for their development, Mr. Patil said that neither the State government sought Central grants nor the Union government gave it on its own for the development of Hyderabad Karnkataka region. “If the State government is providing ₹ 1,500 crore special grants for the region, the Union government should also add its share — ideally double the amount,” he said.
Illustrating how the region continued to be discriminated against as far as development issues were concerned, Mr. Patil said that the State government was not interested in establishing the proposed NIMZ [National Investment and Manufacturing Zone] project in Kalaburagi.
“Kalaburagi, along with Tumakuru, was selected for the ambitious NIMZ project that was expected to boost investment and generate jobs. The State government has given technical approval and identified 12,500 acres of land in Kalaburagi. We were expecting that Kalaburagi NIMZ Project would be taken up on a priority basis considering the backwardness of the region. The State government did nothing to push the project. On the other hand, the Tumakuru NIMZ project is being implemented with special interest,” he said.
Red Gram Growers Association president Basavaraj Ingin, journalist Srinivas Siranoorkar, economist Basavaraj Kumnur, former HKCCI president Umakanth Nigudagi and others were present.