Global technology centres at Mysuru, Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Hubballi-Dharwad

Bengaluru: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to build a “Strong Karnataka”, with a focus on health, education, water security, investment, employment, regional balance, social justice and capital investment.

Speaking at the “Drudha Karnatakada Sankalpa: Shathakada Patha – Pragathiya Ratha” programme at Vidhana Soudha here on Thursday, organised to mark 100 days of his assuming office, Shivakumar said the Government was committed to making Karnataka a model State for the country.

“We have made grand resolves to take Karnataka’s economy to 1 trillion dollars by 2037, to bring malnutrition below 5 percent and to bring child drop-outs and poverty down to zero,” he said.

Major announcements included a decision to provide free houses and sites to homeless Dalits and tribal people living in rural areas.

The Government will distribute five lakh sites to landless rural families and upgrade roads, drains and street lights in Dalit colonies. It will also provide self-employment opportunities to 50,000 youths from Dalit, tribal, backward class and minority communities within two years.

For farmers, the Government has introduced the ‘Negila Yogi’ scheme to provide subsidised ploughing to farmers owning less than three acres. Under the ‘Tegada Siri’ scheme, teak saplings will be planted along roadsides, with farmers responsible for nurturing them. At harvest, 70 percent of the value will go to the farmer and 30 percent to the Government.

To empower rural youth, the Government plans to establish a ‘Bharat Jodo Yuva Sangha’ in every Panchayat. Ten thousand associations are being set up across the State with an annual grant of Rs. 10 lakh each, involving a total allocation of Rs. 1,000 crore.

Under ‘Udyoga Nidhi’, those creating private jobs in rural areas outside Bengaluru will receive Rs. 2,500 per job.

The Government has also announced the upgrading of 1,000 Government Schools at the Panchayat-level into KPS Schools, besides providing an additional 7.5 percent reservation in higher education for students who studied in Government Schools.

Industrial development

On industrial development, Shivakumar said investments worth Rs. 43,214 crore had been approved in 100 days. A special accelerator package would be offered for investments in backward taluks, while worker housing would be permitted on 15-20 percent of land in industrial areas under the ‘Shramika Nivas’ Scheme.

He announced plans for India’s first Government-sponsored AI University and said AI education would be introduced for children from Class 6.

Five global technology centres would also be established in second-tier cities, including Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Mysuru.

He said Rs. 2.53 lakh crore in capital investment had come into the State in the last three years and Karnataka had secured the second position nationally in attracting foreign investment. The State’s GDP had risen to Rs. 32.81 lakh crore, registering 8.1 percent growth.

“Our goal is Strong Karnataka — an economically strong, socially empowered, technologically advanced and deeply rooted in values Karnataka,” he said.