The inputs to the new industrial policy for 2019-24 sought by the government from local industrialists has brought in focus the programmes announced in the current policy document, some of which are yet to be implemented.
The current policy 2014-19 will lapse later this year and one of the key proclamations made was the proposal to declare large industrial areas and estates in different parts of the State including Mysuru as Industrial Township Areas under section 364-A of the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964. The policy proposed to establish authorities in respective townships to be managed by industrialists as per section 364-(b)(2) of the Act.
Incidentally, this is also a long-pending demand of local industrialists in Mysuru as they aver that the industrial areas on the outskirts of the city could be brought under a single authority.
Metagalli, Hootagalli, Belavadi, Hebbal, Koorgalli on the outskirts of Mysuru constitute the second largest swathe of industrial area next only to Peenya in Bengaluru. “At present, it takes months to get clearance from different departments of the government apart from securing licences from local bodies to obviate which the industrial township areas or authority was mooted,” said Suresh Kumar Jain, secretary, Mysore Industries’ Association (MIA).
Though it was announced in the policy document and promises made in the subsequent budgets tabled by the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, this remained an expression of interest on paper. “The government failed to introduce the relevant amendments to the Act to give effect to the policy,” he said. This is one of the key demands of the industrialists as it would improve the ease of doing business.
Similarly, the policy document had spoken of creating State Industrial Corridors along major urban centres and this included the Bangalore-Mandya-Mysuru-Chamarajangar corridor. But it was never invoked and the industries are getting concentrated around Mysuru-Nanjangud belt. Though an industrial estate was inaugurated in Chamarajanagar, entrepreneurs who participated in the stakeholders meet in Mysuru on Thursday said the promised investment has not come.
Local industrialists say the concept of an industrial corridor will remain on paper unless there was connectivity linking the stretch. Hence, this called for better roads from Chamarajanagar to Mysuru besides a parallel railway line linking Chamarajanagar with Kollegal, Malavalli and Bengaluru so that freight – mainly granite and agricultural products – could be transported without hassles.
Though the policy document identified the Bengaluru-Mandya-Mysuru-Chamarajanagar corridor as suitable for establishment of a knowledge-based industrial corridor, none of this has materialised. The policy document had enunciated that the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) would ensure that atleast one member of each land-losing family would get a job in the local industries. But this is seldom ensured and scores of land losing farmers have staged protests seeking jobs for lands acquired from them.