K'taka to establish IT, BT parks under PPP

Gulbarga, Nov 22 (UNI) The Karnataka government is committed to establish Information Technology (IT) and Bio Technology (BT) parks outside Bangalore under Public Private Participation (PPP), Karnataka IT and BT Principal Secretary Ashok Kumar Manoli said today.

Addressing a 'IT and BT investors meet' here, he said there would be some 'fall' in the IT exports in the fourth quarter of the current year due to financial crisis in the US and hoped that there would be an upsurge after July 2009.

He said to set up IT parks in backward areas like Gulbarga, the government has offered many incentives, including concession in power tariff, exemption of entry tax and stamp duty and reduction in registration charges.

He said the government was introducing ''new semiconductor policy,'' which gives top priority to take the IT technology to the rural areas.

Mr Manoli informed that Rs 55,300 crores worth IT products had been exported during the year and expressed confidence that the Indian IT sector would be able to overcome the global economic meltdown crisis by adopting innovative remedial measures.

He said the state-owned KEONIC, an IT giant, had requested the government to allot 30 acres of land to establish IT park in Gulbarga.

Several IT professional regretted that since lack of job opportunities, hundreds of skilled and talented software professionals are migrating to other places and urged the government to invite top ten IT companies to establish IT parks here.

Regional Commissioner Rajanish Goel said the government had allocated Rs 2,000 crores for the development of the HK region, besides Rs 100 crores to develop the city and provide infrastructure.

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