HUBBALLI: Activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), along with a few industrialists on Saturday protested the hike in the price of sites allotted to entrepreneurs at the Gamanagatti Green Tech Park. The activists gathered in front of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) office in Hubballi to protest the 60 to 75% hike in the price of the sites.
President of AAP’s Dharwad district unit Santosh Nargund said that a survey of the Gamanagatti industrial area conducted by the party had illustrated the severe financial crisis that micro, small and medium enterprises were grappling with. “In such a scenario, hiking the valuation of sites will compound the financial woes. The government must withdraw the hike,” he said.
Shashikumar Sullad and Anant Kumar Bharatiya, two other AAP activists who participated in the protest, batted for the setting up of a single-window system that would eliminate the need for entrepreneurs to visit 24 different departments to seek clearance and obtain licence. “The prevailing ‘Licence Raj’ system is very discouraging to prospective investors. Also, industrialists are facing problems owing to the lack of basic amenities such as proper roads, efficient garbage disposal system, underground drainage network, etc.,” they said.
Vikas Soppin warned the government of AAP intensifying the stir if the hike in the site valuation was not withdrawn.
Ramakrishna Hothalli, Veeresha Sharma, Rajesh Nigadi and Ajay Patil were among the entrepreneurs who participated in the protest.