Bommai seeks to bolster infra with Rs 55,000 crore boost

Almost a fourth of the allocations in the budget, presented by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, is to encourage economic development in the state.

A 2,000 MW capacity Underground Storage Centre in the Sharavathi Basin is among the key announcements, apart from sops for industries setting up semiconductor manufacturing devices.

With a total allocation of Rs 55,657 crore, Bommai has promised the construction of new airports, helipads, industrial parks, improving the road infrastructure, expansion of ports and others. The CM has also proposed a Karnataka Special Investment Region Act to set up mega industrial regions in Tumakuru and Dharwad districts.

The budget has cleared a greenfield airport at Raichur at a cost of Rs 186 crore with financial assistance from the District Mineral Fund and Kalyana Karnataka Region Development Board. Feasibility reports for two more airports - Davangere and Koppal - are also being prepared.

Another announcement is the construction of heliports at a cost of Rs 30 crore in Madikeri, Chickmagaluru and Hampi on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Rail and road

The government will submit a proposal to the central government to implement a 55 km-long stretch of rail line between Gadag and Yalagavi at a cost of Rs 640 crore. Bommai has also assured the implementation of the Dharwad-Kittur-Belagavi railway line scheme at a cost of Rs 927 cr ‘at the earliest’.

He has also announced funds to develop state highways, including Rs 3,500 crore to develop a 2,275 km-long state highway project, and Rs 440 crore for re-asphalting 1,008 km highway.

The government will encourage establishing industries in Chitradurga, Davanagere, Haveri, Dharwad and Belagavi districts as they fall across the Chennai-Bengaluru-Mumbai Corridor. The special investment regions for mega industrial regions will be notified in Tumakuru and Dharwad districts.

The budget hs also floated a Rs 350 crore project to set up a dedicated jetty and allied infrastructure facilities for Lakshadweep and to expand Mangalore Port with funding from the Centre.

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