BSY asks Centre to set up IIT in Karnataka

Bangalore, Jul 24: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday, July 24 appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to consider the State Government's long pending demand of setting up an Indian Institute of Technology in the State.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, a copy of which was released to the media here, the Chief Minister said despite repeated requests and the Governor writing to the Centre, the demand was yet to be considered. ''We hope that the request would be positively considered in the 11th five-year plan.'' Mr Yeddyurappa said he was surprised to note that in the Union Budget for 2008-09, Karnataka did not figure in the list of states which have been sanctioned new IITs.

He said for the first time in the country, the state had decided to set up a Knowledge and Higher Education Commission at the State level and many measures have been announced in the State Budget for 2008-09 to harness knowledge power.

He assured the full support and cooperation of his Government for setting up an IIT in the State.

UNI