K’taka holds talks with Centre to acquire 3,200 acres of BGML land to set up industrial park

PTI, Aug 28, 2020, 6:45 PM IST

Bengaluru: Karnataka Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister Jagadish Shettar on Friday held talks with Union Minister for Coal, Parliamentary Affairs and Mines Pralhad Joshi to explore the possibility of obtaining 3,200 acres of unused land from defunct Bharat Gold Mines Ltd in Kolar district to set up an industrial park there.

A survey would be undertaken by the State Mines and Geology Department to assess the presence of any natural resources there, Shettar said in a statement after the meeting.

After the survey in six months, if the land parcel in the Kolar Gold Fields does not possess any natural resources, then the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board shall obtain the land from the Union Ministry of Mines with necessary approvals to set up the Industrial park.

The land is strategically located at about 90 kms from Bangaluru airport, 260 km from Chennai Port and 314 km from Krishnapatnam port, he said.

The 3,200-acre land parcel has the necessary infrastructure required to set up a full-fledged industrial park and generate employment, Shettar said.

This is part of an effort by the Karnataka government to attract investments, decongest Bengaluru and create industrial hubs in different parts the State, the Minister said.

According to officials, the Union Government closed the operations of BGML, a central PSU which owns Kolar Gold Fields, in 2001.

Meanwhile, Shettar said Karnataka has attracted investment proposals worth more than Rs 31,676 crore in the last five months (March-August 2020), and it is expected to generate 65,459 direct employment opportunities, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and months of lockdown.

‘We have decided to amend the Karnataka Industrial Facilitation Act (2002) and allow industries to commence operations as soon as they get the necessary approval without having to wait for multiple clearances’, Shettar added.