Trying to revive the same, the Peenya Industrial Association (PIA) — has called for an amendment to the KIABD Act — thereby suggesting to make the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) a nodal agency with the reponsibility of maintaing infrastructure in industrial areas. Currently, sources revealed, that the act does not provide KIADB with the direct responsiblities of managing the infrastructure of any of the estates in the State. And thus, if this proposal is accepted, it will also benefit other industrial clusters across Karnataka.
This proposal was made at a recently held meeting between PIA, the State government and its Vision Group chaired by Infosys Chief Kris Gopalakrishnan, sources said. Seeking to address the issue of infrastructure, the Vision Group had proposed a public-private parnership (PPP) model, while it also discussed the project report prepared by RITES (a Govt of India enterprise) — that was commissioned by the government to study the state of the estate. And sources said that the agency had recommended for a Rs 162 crore budgetary allowance to address infrastructure issues like underground sewerage, bus stands, water, roads, street lights, et al, that is lacking in the estate.
Rejects PPP model
It is understood that the Vision Group had proposed a PPP model based on the report, and proposed preparing a revenue model to execute it. However, the association has rejected this proposal and said ‘the industrialists in the area pay around Rs 1 crore approximately every year to the Municipal Council, besides property tax and other fees, yet basic facilities like a sewerage system and roads are grossly inadequate. The association is of the opinion that the KIADB must be the nodal agency, and that it must be accountable for the infrastructure facilities in all the estates.
PIA Joint Treasurer and Co-ordinator (Infrastructure) D T Venkatesh expressing disappointment said “There are more than 4 lakh people employed here, and the estate contributes several lakhs in various fees and charges, and yet we do not have proper roads and basic facilities and they offer a PPP model when we ask them for basic infrastructural facilities.”