CM, son hold closed-door meeting with industrialists

Mysore/Mysuru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has categorically instructed the representatives of factories and industries set up in Mysuru and surrounding districts to provide jobs to locals on priority.

The CM, who held a closed-door meeting with the top officers and industrialists of Mysuru, especially those of Nanjangud, at Hotel Fortune JP Palace, Nazarbad this morning, came out with specific instructions to factory managements.

“Locals should be given due priority in jobs and it is only if they lack required technical skills, the outsiders should be considered. We have adequate manpower with expertise, but should not be denied jobs on flimsy grounds. Most importantly, the family of land losers whose lands were acquired for factories should be given jobs. The factories are issued permission to set up their business with the aim of creating jobs for locals. Or else, the purpose of the Government won’t be fulfilled” observed Siddaramaiah.

Factories contribute to progress of the State and also growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rate. “Our Government is committed to provide all the facilities for industries, with subsidies. We are not against the industries, but our only motto is to create job opportunities for locals,” affirmed Siddaramaiah.

Son-rise at meeting

Apart from restricting even the legislators and media to the meeting hall, attached to the cellar of the hotel, what aroused the curiosity further was the presence of former Varuna MLA Dr. Yathindra Siddaramaiah, the son of CM and member of Ashraya Committee, at the meeting. Yathindra was in controversy recently, after a video clip that went viral, where he was seen dictating terms regarding the transfer of Officers.

Deputy Commissioner Dr.K.V. Rajendra, Chief Executive Officer of Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), Dr. M. Mahesh, DIGP (Southern Range) Dr. M.B. Boralingaiah, City Police Commissioner B. Ramesh and Managing Director of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) Limited C.N. Shreedhar were notable among several Officers who attended the meeting.

Pile of files

As the meeting began with the arrival of CM from his T.K. Layout residence to the hotel at about 12.10 pm, a huge pile of files was also taken inside the meeting hall, raising further curiosity about what may have transpired at the meeting, with some waiting outside, speculating about various demands raised by industrialists.

As the media persons were present in large numbers, the Police restricted their access to cellar at the reception lounge in the ground floor itself.

Chamaraja MLA K. Harishgowda, former Chairman of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) C. Basavegowda and other leaders were also seen waiting at the reception. The City Police had turned the area around the hotel into a virtual fortress.

The CM who arrived on a two-day tour of the district yesterday, will be leaving for Bengaluru this evening at 7, after attending the prior engagements.

Joint Director of District Industries Centre Dinesh, Deputy Director Varade Gowda, Assistant Director Vijaykumar and other Officers were also present.