Ahead of the coming State Budget, Mysuru Industries Association (MIA) has drawn Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s attention to the need for early functioning of the Mysuru Industrial Township Authority if the industries in Mysuru were to experience “ease of doing business”.
A delegation of the Association met Mr. Bommai in Bengaluru on Saturday and submitted a wishlist ahead of the State Budget 2022-23.
A long-pending demand of the industries in Mysuru, the Authority was proposed in the State Budget in 2016-17, but the decks are yet to be cleared for the body to start functioning.
MIA Secretary Suresh Kumar Jain, in a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, said the industrial area in Mysuru was presently part of the Hootagalli City Municipal Council (CMC) and the industries were paying their property tax to the CMC while paying maintenance charges to the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).
Similiarly, the building plan has to be submitted to KIADB for approval after which the license needs to be obtained from Hootagalli CMC. The need for securing approval from two bodies and paying taxes to them runs contrary to the government’s promise of reforms for “ease of doing business”, Mr. Jain said.
Hence, he urged Mr. Bommai to set aside ₹100 crore in the State Budget to facilitate the Mysuru Industrial Township Authority to start functioning with the appointment of necessary officials and staff.
The MIA has also urged the State Government to sanction ₹25 crore to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) to take up work on providing basic facilities under Integrated Infrastructural Development (IID) scheme to industrial areas under its jurisdiction like Bannimantap A and B extensions, besides Vishweshwaranagar Mysuru South Industrial area.
The MIA has also sought allocation of ₹50 crore to Hootagalli CMC and KIADB to take up infrastructure maintenance and development work in Hebbal, Hootagalli, Metagalli and Belavadi industrial areas.
‘Reduce electricity cost’
A large number of micro and small industries were reeling under the impact of COVID-19 second wave and were in a difficult situation on account of rise in prices of raw materials, he said adding that 30 per cent of the industries were closed while another 20 per cent had become sick.
To bail out these industries, the government should adopt the Gujarat and Tamil Nadu model, where electricity is provided to the micro industries at “cost of supply”. By reducing the cost of power, the sick micro and small industries will receive the much-needed encouragement, he said.
Exclusive helipad
The MIA has urged the government to set up an exclusive helipad for the industrial area of Mysuru, which is spread across 6,500 acres of land, housing more than 150 large, medium and heavy industries.
The other demands listed by MIA in the memorandum include installation of solar street lamps in industrial areas, setting up exclusive industrial waste management plants and sanction of ₹3 crore required for completing the construction of the Mysuru Export Centre.
The Centre had already released ₹3 crore for the project and the State Government had so far released ₹1 crore out of the ₹4 crore that had been sought. Hence, Mr. Jain urged Mr. Bommai to release the remaining amount in the coming Budget and facilitate the completion of the export centre.
