Date:15/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/15/stories/2006121507020500.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

796 officers to be recruited

Staff Reporter

Government to fill 70 p.c. of vacant posts in the Horticulture Department

BANGALORE: After many years, the Government is recruiting officers and gardeners to fill 70 per cent of the vacant posts in the Department of Horticulture with a view to boosting horticultural activity.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Basavaraj S. Horatti on Thursday said that the Cabinet had decided to recruit 796 assistant horticultural officers, 242 horticulture assistants and 440 gardeners in the department. It had decided to take 500 persons, including those who had passed B.Sc (Agriculture), for a six-month stipendiary training. Briefing presspersons, he said the Union Government had sanctioned funds for this long ago but the State Government could not take up the work as the recruitment process had not started. The Horticulture Development Board had also sanctioned funds, he said.

A decision was taken to appoint 81 medical officers to be posted to hospitals under the Employees State Insurance Scheme.

A decision had been taken to appoint five additional registrars of the rank of district judge in the Karnataka Lokayukta. He said the Cabinet had decided to approve setting up three private sugar factories, including two cogeneration units. They were KPR Sugar Mills in Sindagi taluk of Bijapur district with a daily crushing capacity of 2,500 tonnes. It would invest Rs. 49.70 crore. It had been allowed to utilise sugarcane grown in 39 villages. Renuka Sugar Mills in Afzalpur in Gulbarga district with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes at a cost of Rs. 81.33 crore. The third one was Lakshmanrao Jarkiholi Sugar Factory at Gokak with a capacity of 2,500 tonnes at a cost of Rs. 23.55 crore. The last two would generate 15 mw and 14 mw power, respectively.

Raibagh Sugar Factory in Belgaum district, which incurred a loss of Rs. 150 crore, had been allowed to lease it out for 30 years. The tendering process would be initiated soon. Nirani Sugars in Mudhol taluk of Bagalkot district had been permitted to double its crushing capacity from 2,500 tonnes.

Chairman and members of the Karnataka Public Service Commission would be given pension on an annual basis.

Simbiosis International Educational Centre under the Pune University of Maharashtra had been permitted to open its branch/campus in Bangalore city, he said.