Local economy push: Karnataka government to identify high-impact projects

Bengaluru: The government will identify “high-impact” and “short-term” projects that can be executed in the next three months to boost the state’s economy, IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge has said. 

Priyank held a meeting with Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh recently to discuss projects that can lift off under the Local Economy Accelerator Programme (LEAP). 

Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd chairperson Sharath Bachegowda was also present. 

Priyank said the government will evaluate “potential public-private partnership (PPP) brownfield projects” that can be implemented in the next 1-3 months. 

“We discussed several sectors and explored ways to leverage existing infrastructure and resources for immediate implementation,” Priyank said, adding that he suggested shortlisting “a few high-impact, short-term projects that can be taken up right away”.

Priyank said the focus was on “moving quickly” and seeing that “ideas translate into tangible results” in the coming months. 

The minister pointed out that the government has approved an IT park in Mangaluru, spread over 3.2 acres of land, which will be implemented on a PPP basis under LEAP. 

“We want local economies (in the districts) to start contributing more,” Priyank told DH. 

“We can look at micro component manufacturing. There are sustainable startups that don’t have common instrumentation facilities where they can come and build,” Priyank said.

“We’re also looking at changes in our marine policy. For example, ocean farming can be taken,” he said. 

The government has asked consultants EY, KPMG and Deloitte to identify projects that can be quickly grounded.