Date:15/03/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/03/15/stories/2007031502630300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

`Karnataka is not Bangalore'

Staff Reporter

Bangalore-centric development in the State could cost the economy dear

Bangalore: The Bangalore-centric focus of development in the State could cost the economy dear, said Chiranjeev Singh, former Additional Chief Secretary, inaugurating the Karnataka Pragathi Parishat, a new non-political organisation that aims at creating an economic "roadmap" to resolve regional disparities.

"Karnataka is not Bangalore. Our consistent focus on the development of the city, its metro, and the information technology sector has shifted the focus away from districts," Dr. Singh said.

"We need to focus on economic development and income generation program- mes in all our districts. The intra-State migration that occurs in Karnataka, especially Bangalore, in search of work is hardly surprising," he said.

Dr. Singh spoke of the need to shift focus from "glamorous" sectors to the informal sector, including street vendors, whose contribution could, as the example of New Delhi shows, to contribute as much as 40 per cent of the GDP of the city.

A handbook on "A New Orientation for the Development of Karnataka", produced by Karnataka Pragathi Parishat, was released. The handbook offers a "roadmap" for the economic development of the State for the next 10 years. Its recommendations include financial empowerment of low-income groups, and priority status for dry-land farming, which represents 74 per cent of farmland.

Basavaraja Bommai, MLC and author of the handbook, speaking of the iniquitous development of the State, said: "The economic opportunities created by globalisation have not reached the common man." Mr. Bommai added that "Bangalore has received the bulk of investments, and so employment opportunities have been confined to the city. This is reflected in the huge disparity in the per capita income in different areas of the State." The per capita income in Bangalore is double that of Bidar, he said.

"While the suggestions in the handbook are important, they cannot be implemented unless there are some major changes in governance," said Lokayukta Santosh Hegde.

"The all pervasive nature of politics today has weakened and even usurped the position of the bureaucrats, who are after all assigned the job of knowing and attending to people's grievances," he added.

Economist G. Thimmiah concurred with Lokayukta that development, welfare and budgetary programmes have less to do with social welfare, and more as tools to influence voters. "The purpose of the Government is to stay in power, and that of the Opposition is to come to power. Social welfare is just a by-product," he said.