SPI | Media Kit | Feature Articles Archives | Rural slant keeps Govt. out of industry

The self-professed rural and pro-farmer tilt of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government in the state seems to have turned off industrialists and those concerned about the development of Mysore. The introduction of VAT, however, has come as a saving grace for the government which, otherwise has failed to elicit any positive comment from the entrepreneur community.

As the coalition government completes an year in office, industrialists in general harbour the resentment that the “government has not played a pro-active role” to spur industrial growth in Karnataka. Industrialists of the region feel the government is stricken by the misplaced notion that promoting industries would antagonize the rural sector and erode the rural base of the respective coalition partners.

“Noise on the issue of developing industries in Karnataka is unwarranted as there is no logic in the government’s thinking that it will antagonize the rural masses by speaking good about industries,” says industrialist R.N.Murthy, terming the government’s performance on the industrial front as “not encouraging.”

Murthy feels the government lacks clarity on the development front as it has not taken a single step to develop or boost industrial activities in the state in general or the Mysore region in particular. He says the government has failed to exploit Mysore’s congenial industrial climate, particularly in the tourism sector. Good educational institutions, hospitals and tourist spots would have come handy to promote tourism in Mysore and to plan ahead.

Software Paradigms (India) Pvt. Limited managing director K.K.Mookerji was more vocal in criticizing the government’s neglect of the industries, particularly the IT sector. “As far as Mysore is concerned, there is huge scope for industries and IT players to establish units, but lack of government support is preventing them from pitching their tents here in Mysore… The government seems to be more interested in vote bank politics rather than development”.

However, MATF chief and industrialist R.Guru was more sympathetic. “A year is too short a period to judge the government’s performance” and described VAT as an “excellent initiative” to boost trade and industrial activity in Karnataka.

“The philosophy of the coalition partners is rural oriented and pro-farmer with the major thrust being towards rural areas; how can one expect it to play a pro-active role in developing industries.”