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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Bellary readies for Hampi Utsava

Source: Times of India

BELLARY: Tourism minister G Janardhana Reddy said here on Friday that a committee meeting would be convened in the second week of December to chalk out plans for the Hampi Utsava. The festival is scheduled for January 27, 28 and 29. Primary health care centres in Kampli, Rupangudi and Moka villages would be upgraded to 30 bed hospitals and tenders will be invited for the same. "This is to overcome the shortage of primary health care centres in the district," Reddy said.

The tennis court in Bellary gymkhana would be upgraded to international levels.

Replying to a query about leadership change in the state government, he said it was left to the party's national leaders to decide. "We are ready to follow any decision taken by the party high command," he added.

Asked about damage to the party's image due to recent political developments in the state, he said, the election results of the local body which will come shortly would be the perfect yardstick as an answer, Reddy added.

Industries to invest over Rs. 15,000 cr. in Gulbarga

 Source: The Hindu

Zawar, Rajashree, Lafarge among those planning to set up cement plants in the district
New projects expected to provide employment to many in the region


— File photo

Big plans:Vasavadatta Cement in Sedam taluk of Gulbarga district is one of the many companies seeking to expand existing plants.
GULBARGA: Gulbarga district looks set to divest its tag as an industrially backward district with the setting up of at least 12 new industries and the expansion of existing cement plants, at a combined investment of Rs. 15,063 crore.
Official sources told The Hindu here on Sunday that apart from the memorandums of understanding (MoUs) signed during the Global Investors Meet in June this year, a few more industries have applied for licences to set up units in the district. They have also sought infrastructure facilities, including land, for the proposed projects.
Among the existing cement plants that have sought permission to expand their capacities are Zawar Cement Pvt. Ltd. in the industrial township of Shahabad and Rajashree Cement at Malkhed in Sedam taluk of Gulbarga district.
The Zawar plant has sought permission to increase the installed capacity of its Shahabad plant to 6 million tonnes per annum (MPTA) from the existing 0.5 MTPA, and to install a captive power generation plant of 70 MW. The company has also sought to convert the existing wet process technology to dry process technology at a cost of Rs. 3,180 crore.
Sources said the project would provide employment to an additional 4,050 persons, apart from its existing workforce of 570.
Meanwhile, the capacity of the Rajashree Cement plant would be enhanced from 4.2 MTPA to 8.45 MTPA, with a captive power generation plant of 185.5 MW also being installed. The total investment for this would be Rs. 3,000 crore.
While Zawar has sought an additional 472.18 acres for their expansion activities, Rajashree has sought 971.38 acres of land.
Besides, Lafarge India Pvt. Ltd. has decided to establish a cement plant with an initial capacity of 3 MPTA, and a 43-MW coal-based thermal plant to meet its power requirement in Chitapur taluk of Gulbarga district, at a cost of Rs. 1,500 crore. This unit will provide employment to 355 people.
The company has sought 601.12 acres of land for setting up the unit.
India Cements too has decided to establish a cement plant with an initial capacity of 2 MTPA, and a 60-MW thermal power plant at a cost of Rs. 850 crore in Chincholi taluk of the district. The company has been permitted to acquire 1,263.45 acres of land directly from the farmers for the project.
Shree Cements has decided establish a 3-MTPA cement plant at Sedam taluk, with a 35-MW captive power plant at a cost of Rs. 1,000 crore.
Vasavadatta Cement in Sedam taluk has been permitted to take up expansion of its existing plant at a cost of Rs. 800 crore. Orient Cement too have expressed interest in establishing a unit in Chitapur taluk at a cost of Rs. 700 crore.
Besides, several entrepreneurs have proposed to establish other industries.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Kingfisher may fly from Belgaum next month

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/11/27/stories/2010112752241900.htm


Kingfisher Airlines is likely to commence flights from Belgaum city in December.
An assurance to this effect was given to a trade delegation led by Mr Jaideep Siddannavar, president, Belgaum Chamber of Commerce and Industries, when it met Union Civil Aviation Minister Mr Praful Patel and Kingfisher Airlines Chairman Mr Vijay Mallya in New Delhi.
The Chamber had approached both the Central and State governments for early resumption of flights from Sambra airport in Belgaum.
According to Mr Siddannavar, Mr Mallya has promised to introduce commercial flights from December 15. Kingfisher Airlines plans to connect Belgaum to Bangalore, Mumbai and Mysore.
Mr Basavaraj S. Javali, vice-president of the Chamber, said the trade delegation from Belgaum met Union Minister of State for Finance Mr Palani Manikkam in New Delhi and submitted a pre-budget memorandum. Later, it met Union Labour Minister Mr Mallikarjun Kharge and briefed him on the problems faced by traders and industrialists in Belgaum. The team also discussed issues relating to ESI and PPF.
The delegation met Union Commerce Minister Mr Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Mr Vilas Rao Deshmukh and Union Railway Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee.

Integrated textile park in Gulbarga to be ready soon


 
Source: The Hindu

Discussing strategy:(From left) Mukta Nidhi Samnotra, Director, Ministry of Textiles; V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles; and A.B. Joshi, Textile Commissioner; at a road show inBangalore on Friday.
Bangalore: The integrated textile park at Gulbarga “will soon be a reality”, a top official of the Union Ministry of Textiles said on Friday. Participating in a road show for the new Scheme for Integrated Textile Park (SITP), Textile Commissioner A.B. Joshi said the park in Gulbarga was “at an advanced stage of development.” Officials in the Textile Ministry said similar parks were being considered at Shimoga, Tunkur and Bellary.
Mr. Joshi said Karnataka, which has a “strong and vibrant weaving tradition, had taken the initiative in promoting textiles”. He said apart from the garment-manufacturing cluster in Doddaballapur, a power loom cluster was also emerging in the State.
The new SITP scheme, which was launched recently, is aimed at providing a fillip to the industry so that it retains its global competitiveness, Mr. Joshi said. “The Technology Upgradation Fund (TUF), which has been in ‘ pause mode,' is likely to be resumed soon,” he remarked.
The Indian textile industry is the largest in the world in terms of loomage, Mr. Joshi pointed out. He said spun yarn output in the current year increased by 7.3 year over the previous year, and that cloth production increased by 2.1 per cent.
V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, said the SITP, initiated in Public-Private Partnership mode, would enjoy Government support to the extent of 40 per cent of the project cost with a limit of Rs. 40 crore. The subsidy would not be available for land acquisition. The integrated parks would have facilities for cotton processing, ginning, weaving, fabric processing, garmenting and made-ups, Mr. Srinivas said.
Mukta Nidhi Samnotra, Director, Ministry of Textiles, participated in the road show.

Nabard prepares Rs 1,597-cr credit plan for Dharwad

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/11/26/stories/2010112652191900.htm


The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has prepared Rs 1,596.68-crore potential linked credit plan (PLPs) for Dharwad district for the financial year (FY) 2011-12.
Unveiling the Dharwad district credit plan at the DCC meet, Mr Y.N. Mahadevaiah, Nabard- AGM, said “Of the total credit plan amount, Rs 829.20 crore is set aside for investment under agriculture and allied activities, for non-farm sector Rs 146.52 crore, and for other priority sector Rs 620.96 crore.”
According to the district's potential linked credit plan (PLPs) for the FY 2011-12, Nabard has identified the potential for setting up rural godowns and market yards under centrally sponsored schemes of rural godowns, and also to strengthen agriculture marketing infrastructure. “Banks in the district have disbursed only Rs 1 crore. As for the rural godowns and market yard infrastructure in Dharwad district, there are 11 godowns having a capacity of 7,900 tonnes. Whereas neighbouring districts such as Koppal, Raichur and Bellary have already spent and created huge capacities. Compared to those districts, Dharwad has negligible infrastructure,” he added. Mr Mahadevaiah said that there are 22 nationalised, RRBs and co-operative banks having 257 branches. Definitely, the banks can take up funding of rural godowns and market yards to the extent of Rs 53.70 crore in the financial year 2011-12.
At the DCC meet, the Reserve Bank of India Manager Mr R Ramachandran, Vijaya Bank's AGM Mr B.A. Tata, Lead district bank manager Mr Basavarajaiah and representatives of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat were present.
The DCC meet discussed broad sector-wise PLP projections for FY 2011-12 and is as follows: For crop production, Rs 632.82 crore is planned.
Activities to be taken up under this are water resources, land development, farm mechanisation, plantation, horticulture and sericulture, dairy and storage godowns and market yard.

Thursday, November 25, 2010


BELGAUM: Prof H Maheshappa, vice-chancellor of Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) said the State government has sanctioned a grant of Rs 2 crore to the university, for the overall development of Kannada.

He was speaking after felicitating the three Karnataka Rajyotsava awardees from Belgaum district -- Dr R B Nerli (medical), Sangamesh Savadattimath (literature and research) and Malabai Sambrekar (folk), on behalf of the VTU at Jnana Sangam campus here on Tuesday.

Maheshappa said the grants will be utilized to translate technology-related books into Kannada to take knowledge to the doorsteps of the common people. Besides this, a separate publication wing and Kannada experimental wing will be established at VTU, to organize cultural programmes, he said.

Pradhan Gurudatt, president of Kuvempu Bhasha Bharati Authority (KBBA) praised the efforts of VTU.

President of the district Kannada Sahitya Academy (KSA)Basavaraj Jagajampi, VTU books publication committee head C K Subbarai were present.

Mudhol hound exhibition today - 25th Nov 2010

Source: Times of India
BAGALKOT: North Karnataka, famous for the hunting Mudhol hound dog, has organized an exhibition at Mudhol on Thursday. More than 750 dogs are expected to participate in this unique exhibition.

The exhibition has been jointly organized by the animal husbandry department, Veterinary Science and Fishery University of Bidar, Dog Research Centre, Timmapur, at the Ranna Stadium in Mudhol.

The selected 124 Mudhol hound dogs will be eligible to participate in the International Dog Exhibition scheduled to be held on December 8 at Chennai.

Dr Manjunath S Palegar, deputy director of animal husbandry, told The Times of India that various breeds of dogs from Belgaum, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Bijapur districts will participate in the exhibition, which will be conducted in separate age group divisions -- 7 to 12 months, 13 to 24 months and above 25 months. Apart from the exhibition, medicines, milk, egg and anti-disease vaccines will be distributed to the dog owners during the exhibition. Finally, 24 dogs will be selected for the prize, along with an extra 100 dogs which will be selected for their eligibility to participate in the international contest at Chennai. All participating dogs will be given a certificate which will make this breed become popular at the international level. An Australian team will inspect the dog breed for this purpose, he said.

The Mudhol hound is famous for hunting and is the only breed which is known internationally. A research centre was recently established at Timmapur village in Mudhol taluk and Rs 5 crore sanctioned, to develop this breed.

It may be noted that there is a huge worldwide demand for the Mudhol hound, and it is bound to increase in future.

District in charge minister Govind Karjol will inaugurate the exhibition, while animal husbandry minister Revu Naik Belamagi will release the souvenir. Bidar Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science University vice-chancellor Dr Suresh Honnappagol will preside.