Industry captains want govt to boost infrastructure in State

 Industry captains on Wednesday suggested the State government to take immediate measures to improve infrastructure, especially in the energy sector, in order to make the State an attractive destination for investments.

Participating in an interactive meeting with the representatives of industries organised by the department of Industry and Commerce ahead of Invest Karnataka 2016, President Bosch Group in India Stephen Berns said erratic power supply has posed a challenge for the smooth functioning of industries. Measures should be taken to ensure effective supply of power so that industries can have normal working condition, he added.

Improvement has to happen in the procedures for according clearances for setting up industries. The government should introduce effective, single-window system and ensure ease-of-doing business. Steps should be taken to improve public transport and infrastructure projects such as Namma Metro a time-bound manner, he suggested.

Chairman of Manipal Global Education Services T V Mohandas Pai said the government should take immediate steps to solve the problem of power shortage. Power cuts have been the problem for the last three decades. The problem can be solved by allowing private investments in the energy sector on the lines of Gujarat government. Instead of spending a huge sum on power subsidy, the government should use it for improving human resources, he added.

Chairman and Managing Director of TVS Motors Venu Srinivasan suggested that the government should work towards providing high-speed road and rail connectivity. “Mysuru should be connected with Bengaluru with high-speed rail and road networks. People should be able to reach Mysuru from Bengaluru in one hour...The city of Hubballi-Dharwad should be connected to Bengaluru (by high-speed rail),” he added.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured that steps are being taken to improve the power situation. “The power shortage you are seeing is a temporary phase. We are working towards ensuring energy security for the State and plan to add 22 Giga Watts of all forms of power by 2022,” he stated.

Minister for Industries and Commerce R V Deshpande admitted that infrastructure has not kept pace with the development of the State. “The government is concerned about the situation and we are working overnight to deal with it. The chief minister has been holding consultation with all stakeholders on finding ways to solve the problem,” he added.

Deshpande listed out steps taken by the government to improve infrastructure in Bengaluru. He assured the representatives of various industry bodies that he was ready to clear their expansion projects across the table. Many of the Cabinet ministers and senior officers of the government attended the meeting organised as part of the preparations for Invest Karnataka 2016 scheduled to be held on February 3 and 4 at Palace grounds in Bengaluru.