H D Deve Gowda demands setting up Bengaluru-Mangaluru industrial corridor

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday urged the Central Government to establish a Bengaluru-Mangaluru Industrial Corridor to accelerate industrial growth in southern Karnataka.

Participating in the discussion on the Union Budget in the Rajya Sabha, the JD(S) leader welcomed the government's approval of industrial corridor projects linking key ports, including those connecting Chennai-Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Bengaluru.

He proposed extending these corridors from Bengaluru to Mangaluru.

"Setting up a Bengaluru-Mangaluru industrial corridor would greatly facilitate industrial growth," he said.

"Mangaluru is also a major port. Connecting Visakhapatnam, Chennai, and Mangaluru ports would impart transformative momentum to the nation’s industrial development," he said.

Additionally, Deve Gowda suggested the creation of a dedicated board—similar to the Makhana Board—to promote jackfruit, tamarind, and jamun.

"These crops, widely cultivated in Karnataka as well as in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and other states, possess significant medicinal properties and require relatively less rainfall," he said.

He also appreciated the government's strong support for cash crops such as coconut, sandalwood, cocoa, and cashew, which are predominantly grown in Karnataka's coastal regions and other parts of the country.