Complete with China scheme gets a go ahead

Bengaluru: CM H D Kumaraswamy has made ways for employement in the state by creating opportunities to the people in the state. The project ‘Compete with China’ has been approved by the State Cabinet on Thursday.

The scheme will have various skill-based industrial clusters set up in nine districts. 

Addressing the media, Law Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the scheme envisages promoting industries like those manufacturing electronic components, solar panels and integrated circuits among others to compete with China-made goods. 

With an initial fund of Rs 500 crore for training, the state government will invest Rs 14,000 crore for the scheme over the next five years in nine districts. Sectors will come up in Kalaburagi, Chitradurga, Hassan, Koppal, Mysuru, Ballari, Chikkaballapur, Tumakuru and Bidar. 

Units such as the solar district for production of solar panels will be set up in Kalaburagi, integrated circuit board unit in Mysuru, bathroom floor tiles in Hassan, manufacturing cluster to be established in Koppal and others will come up by tapping into the local resource pool in nine districts. The state plans to generate employment to the tune of Rs 8 lakh through the scheme.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had announced the scheme in the budget for 2018-19.

The Cabinet also decided to set up “Semiconductor Fabless Accelerator” for research and development in electronic hardware in Bengaluru. It will be developed as a centre of excellence and will come up at a cost of Rs 56 crore. The centre will be the first of its kind in the country, Byre Gowda said. 

The government has entered into a tie-up with India Electronics and Semiconductor Association for the purpose. The Cabinet gave its approval for Vasavadatta Cements to purchase 650 acres directly from farmers in Sedam taluk to set up a cement plant.

After training the required personnel, the state will also seek the cooperation of private industry. “In the next four years, Rs 2,000 crore in the form of equity share capital will be provided to private institutes participating in the industry who are required to invest Rs 3,000 cr,” the budget stated. This, according to the state, will result in an investment of Rs 5,000 crore in each of the nine districts.

Crop assessment will be taken up across the state using a mobile-based app at a cost of Rs 25 crore. 

Gowda also mentioned that drinking water facility to Ramanagara and Channapatna towns has been approved at a cost of Rs. 457-crore.