BANGALORE: The Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) Government, which is required to prove its majority, laid emphasis on consolidation of the existing welfare measures and desisted the temptation to announce new populist schemes in the Governor's customary address to the joint session.

Governor T.N. Chaturvedi addressed the session, which was without the BJP and most of the Janata Dal (S) members as they stayed away questioning the legitimacy of the Government and its corollary the address itself.

Among the few announcements made by the Governor were that the Government would streamline the police force to curb the naxalite menace and draw up a health insurance scheme (Apadbandhava) covering 2.5 lakh agricultural labourers and those below the poverty line in rural areas.

He said that the Bangalore metro rail project was expected to be approved by the Centre soon. Efforts to complete infrastructure works in the city by the Bangalore Development Authority and Bangalore Mahanagara Palike were under way.

JD(U) protest

Members of the Janata Dal (United) raised slogans as the Governor began addressing the House, while the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha leader Vatal Nagaraj staged his customary walkout. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has taken up the Cauvery IV Stage Phase-II at a cost of Rs. 3,384 crores with the assistance of the Japan Bank to meet the drinking water needs of Greater Bangalore and the eight urban local bodies around it.

In the 24-page address, Mr. Chatuvedi said it was proposed to set up an Electronic Hardware Technology Park with the status of Special Economic Zone, near the proposed Bangalore International Airport. To promote development of information technology (IT) in the tier-two cities, the Government had identified Mangalore, Mysore, Hubli-Dharwad, Gulbarga, Belgaum and Shimoga as potential growth centres and steps had been taken to establish earth stations in those places, he said.

A Science City is proposed to be set up in Bangalore at a cost of Rs. 70 crores and the Government had finalised the process of establishing a state-of-the-art Bio Tech Park on 100 acres of land, close to the Electronic City. The park is expected to become functional by January 2007, Mr. Chaturvedi said.

The Government was committed to making the Bangalore International Airport operational by early 2008. All the clearances were obtained by the coalition government. It was committed to the upgrading of the Mangalore airport as an international airport, and construction of airports at Mysore, Hassan and Gulbarga.

The Hassan-Mangalore gauge conversion project was being implemented through the joint effort of the Government and the Ministry of Railways. The Hassan-Sakaleshpur and Mangalore- Subramanya Road sections of the line had already been commissioned. For the Gadag-Solapur conversion project, Rs. 23 crores had been released during the year. He said the Government would set up 11,313 anganwadi centres this year under the Integrated Child Development Scheme and completing the recruitment of anganawadi workers shortly.

Kannada meet

On the occasion of Suvarna Karnataka, a Vishwa Kannada Conference would be organised in November and 100 well-known Kannada books would be published. The Government would soon bring out an encyclopaedia called "Grama Charit Kosha", depicting the cultural developments of every village in the State. The Government was aiming at doubling the foodgrain production in the next 10 years and by implementing several measures for the welfare of farmers.Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash and four of the Janata Dal (S) Ministers, P.G.R. Sindhia (Industry and Finance), D. Manjunath (Higher Education), H.S. Mahadeva Prasad (Food and Civil Supplies) and H.D. Revanna (Public Works) were present at the session.

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