Industrial corridor: Chennai-Mumbai national highways via Bangalore, Davanagere, Hubli, Belgaum and Pune

Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/industrial-corridor-19-firms-show-interest/361151/

Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS), KPMG, Infrastructure Development Corporation Karnataka Ltd (iDeCK) and IDBI are among the 19 companies that have evinced interest in providing consultancy services to Karnataka on developing the proposed industrial corridors along National Highways 4 and 17 to attract investment and create employment opportunities for people in North Karnataka.

According to Murugesh Nirani, Karnataka’s minister for large and medium industries, the industrial corridors will be developed on the public-private partnership model.
Recently, the state government had invited an expression of interest from reputed consultancy firms to prepare detailed project report and advise the state government on the model to execute the new industrial corridor projects.

“Apart from these two Indian companies we have also received a proposal from an internationally-reputed foreign agency to participate in the project. We are evaluating their proposals and will soon finalise the bids,” Nirani told Business Standard.

The industrial corridors are planned along the Chennai-Mumbai national highways via Bangalore, Davanagere, Hubli, Belgaum and Pune. Cities falling on the National Highways NH-4 and NH-17 like Bangalore to Belgaum will be developed as a major corridor and Bangalore to Bidar on NH-17, Shimoga to Davanagere and Shimoga to Mangalore. It has been planned to create industrial townships in seven sectors like steel, cement, textile, automobile, food processing, oil & chemicals and fertiliser.

The minister said cement industries will be encouraged in Gulbarga, Bagalkot and Chitradurga, iron and steel industries in Bellary, Koppal and Tumkur. Automobile industries will be promoted in Belgaum, Hubli and Mysore. Meanwhile, Bangalore will be promoted further as a preferred destination for information technology and biotechnology, electronics and general engineering. He said, basic infrastructure will be upgraded in these cities to enable industry to progress. Star category industries will be provided facilities including residential townships and other infrastructure.

In addition, Nirani said centres of horticulture like Bagalkot, Bijapur, Belgaum, Shimoga districts could have food processing units.

A foundry zone will be developed in Belgaum. The government is in the process of identifying 500 acres on the outskirts of Belgaum for the proposed foundry park. Land acquisition is in progress, he said.

Nirani said the government will also complete the land acquisition process before holding the long-pending Global Investors Meet (GIM) in Bangalore in December.

The GIM will be held in December this year. The government is in the process of finalising the knowledge partner, event partner and media partner for the event.

Bedkits for underprivileged children - Belgaum & Pune

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/Bedkits_for_underprivileged_children/articleshow/4185286.cms

The Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment has announced the project, Sleeping kit distribution' in association with Sleeping Children Around The World
(SCAW), a Canadian non-profit organisation dedicated to providing bedkits to children living in under-developed and developing countries.

The project involves distribution of 3,000 such kits in Pune and an additional 4,000 kits in Belgaum, Karnataka. A bedkit contains items like bedding, clothing, school supplies and a mosquito net, that are given to children in the age group of six to 12 years. The beneficiaries will be selected in known backward areas that suffer from environmental and other problems.

Since the establishment of SCAW in 1970, founders Murray and Margaret Dryden, have raised over $22 million to provide bedkits to over 990,000 children in 34 countries.

High-speed rly corridor gets Centres approval

High-speed rly corridor gets Centres approval
DH News Service,Bangalore:

The Railway Ministry has agreed to the State government’s suggestion to set up a high-speed railway corridor between Bangalore and Hubli and Hubli and Pune besides extending it to Mysore from Bangalore.Participating in a discussion on the railway projects in Karnataka organised by the State Council Secretariat, Principal Secretary to Department of Infrastructure V P Baligar said that a joint survey for setting up the corridor would be taken up soon.

Earlier the Centre had shown reservation to the State’s suggestion made in this regard. In fact the Centre had proposed a high speed railway corridor between Bangalore-Chennai and Bangalore-Cochin. But Karnataka had told the Centre that it would not participate in the project as it would not benefit the State.Similarly the State has also suggested for setting up a flight corridor between Bangalore -Hubli and Hubli to Pune. Baligar said that a feasibility study would be conducted regarding laying of a railway line upto the Jog Falls.

At present the railway line is being laid upto Talaguppe, which is about 14 kms from the Jog Falls. “This step is being contemplated to boost tourism,” he added.Baligar said the State had suggested to the Centre to take up Gadag-Haveri, Kushalnagar-Holenarasipura, Shimoga-Harihar, Dharwad-Bailahongal-Belgaum, Shahabad-Bagalkote-Kuchi and Talaguppa-Honnavar lines. Already survey had been ordered in case of Talaguppa-Honnavar line.