Pratap Simmha, Mysuru MP, said here on Sunday that the growth and industrialisation of South India and Bengaluru was facilitated by mineral-rich North Indian States and did not take place in isolation.
Speaking to presspersons, he said the concept of Freight Equalisation was adopted in the 1950s during Jawaharlal Nehru’s period which ensured that minerals available in one State was available throughout the country devoid of freight transportation cost which was borne by the Centre. This, he said, was adopted to disperse the industries and ensure growth across the country.
He said the growth of Bengaluru as an IT or tech hub was also owing to establishment of public sector units like HAL, BEL etc., by the Central Government which helped create an ecosystem for industrial development. Besides, South India was the preferred location for establishing such industries for security reasons as the country’s borders faced threat from both Pakistan and China.
