Members of the Aam Aadmi Party will observe 24-hour fast on March 23 seeking employment opportunities for youth of twin cities, funding for budding entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, and making the Infosys campus in Hubballi operational.
Addressing presspersons along with AAP leaders Naveen Singh Rajput, Shashikumar Sullad and others on Friday, president of AAP Dharwad district unit Santosh P. Nargund said the fast was aimed at highlighting the need for proactive steps to handhold youngsters who were graduating in large numbers from the twin cities.
Mr. Nargund said that North Karnataka and Hubballi-Dharwad had been neglected for years and successive governments had failed to take any significant steps that would benefit the region, especially the youth. “Consequently, the twin cities neither have any major industry nor any meaningful IT activities nor any major IT company to count. And due to wrong policies, hundreds of small and medium enterprises have closed down, turning 20,000 workers jobless. Every few thousands of youth, who complete various courses, come to the twin cities in search of jobs, which are not available in adequate numbers,” he said.
Terming that the IT Park in Hubballi had become a namesake entity, he said Infosys campus in Hubballi, which was ready three years ago, was yet to be made functional. Mr. Nargund said that while thousands graduate from Dharwad known as ‘vidyakashi’, there was neither an IT Park nor any major tech company.
Infosys campus
He said that through the 24-hour fast, AAP was urging the government make the Infosys campus in Hubballi operational, establish an IT Park in Dharwad, create a ₹100 crore startup fund to provide seed fund to innovative ideas of entrepreneurs of the twin cities. The fast was also aimed urging the government to make efforts to get a manufacturing unit of Tesla electric car company in Hubballi-Dharwad, he said.
He said the fast would be held on the 90th anniversary of the martyrdom of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru and would be led by himself and entrepreneur and senior leader of AAP Naveen Singh Rathod. AAP senior national leader and Karnataka State Observer Romi Bhati would launch the satyagraha, he said.
Mr. Nargund said if the four demands were met, then nearly 1 lakh youth would stand to benefit.
Before the satyagraha, a padayatra would be taken out from Bhagat Singh Circle at New Cotton Market in Hubballi at 9.30 a.m. on March 23 and the fast would be held at Mini-Vidhana Soudha, he said. People can call 95133 19638 to join the satyagraha.