The New Indian Express ·
‘Govt must spread industrial growth beyond major cities’
BENGALURU: Economist and former National Finance Commission member Prof M Govinda Rao has called for spreading industrial growth beyond Karnataka’s established urban hubs, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi and Mangaluru, to help address the state’s long-standing regional imbalances.
Acting on the recommendations of the Karnataka Regional Imbalances Redressal Committee, which Rao chaired, the state Cabinet on Wednesday approved a Rs 2,500 incentive for entrepreneurs generating employment in backward taluks. The move is part of an employment fund scheme covering 10 backward districts, Cabinet officials said.
The committee’s report, submitted after extensive fieldwork, argues that uneven development, rather than backwardness alone, is the real challenge and that closing the gap requires sustained, targeted intervention rather than one-time spending, with the government and private enterprise sharing the responsibility.
