'Outsiders' benefiting from Karnataka's industries policies: Bommai

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said for the last four years Karnataka received the highest foreign direct investment (FID) and ranks high in ease of doing business. However, it is unfortunate that the benefit of this is being reaped by ‘outsiders’ and not industrialists from Karnataka.

Addressing a gathering at Gokul Road Industrial Estate after performing Bhoomi pooja of Karnataka Material Testing and Research Centre (KMTRC), here on Saturday, the chief minister asked the small-scale ventures (industries) to become more adventurous. “Why not make use of a chief minister who is willing to handhold you and help you grow. Our government is ready to make any kind of policy that will benefit the industrialists,” he advised the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and added that no industry is small if the entrepreneur wishes to grow and participate in the growth of the State. “Remove that limit of being an MSME and compete with large industries,” he said.

He asked the MSMEs, from North Karnataka, to not just attend the Global Investors Meet, which the State government is organising at Bengaluru on November 2 and 3, in large numbers but also to participate in it.

Bommai said his government will move the proposal to start the Special Investment Region in Dharwad during the next assembly session. “Let us make Dharwad a junction for industrial growth,” he said.

He advised the MSMEs to make good use of the testing centre as people prefer quality products. “If you produce quality products the market will come to your doorsteps, else you will have to criss-cross the market for business,” he said and added that within a week he will release Rs four crore for the construction of the centre.

Ministers Murgesh Nirani, B C Patil, Shankar Patil Munekoppa, MLA Arvind Bellad, KMTRC President M K Patil, Narendra Kulkarni and others were present.