Date:03/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/03/stories/2008080351280300.htm

Karnataka

43,903 families to get BPL cards

Correspondent

Land identified for ‘tech park’ and ‘food park’ in Chikmagalur district

CHIKMAGALUR: C.T. Ravi, MLA, said here on Saturday that 1.17 lakh families of plantation workers in Chikmagalur, Hassan and Kodagu districts would be issued BPL cards. Of these 43,903 families are from Chikmagalur district.

Mr. Ravi told presspersons that the State Government had decided to relax the income limit for plantation workers.

He said Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had conceded the demands of legislators from these districts and had fulfilled the election promise.

Mr. Ravi said 11,640 families in Chikmagalur taluk, 29,000 in Mudigere taluk, 2,007 in Koppa, Sringeri and N.R. Pura taluks, and 756 families in Tarikere taluk would benefit under this scheme.

Referring to the proposed coffee “tech park” and “food park” in Chikmagalur, he said Mr.Yeddyurappa had earmarked Rs. 1 crore in the budget for survey and land acquisition for the same and had promised that funds would be sanctioned.

The Industries Department had identified land near Kadrimidri village on the outskirts of Chikmagalur for this purpose, he added.

Mr. Ravi said that the Chief Minister had held discussions with V.G. Siddartha of Cafe Coffee Day, Chairman of the Coffee Board, and representatives of the Karnataka Planters Association and the Karnataka Growers Federations.

A meeting would be called shortly to invite suggestions on research and marketing for the coffee tech park.He said a Rs.24-crore plan had been prepared for a ring road around Chikmagalur, and work would start after the land acquisition proceedings were completed. The funds would be released in phases over a period of three years, he added.

Chikmagalur had been included in the list of ten districts to have an air strip, he said.

Mr. Ravi said new bus-stands would be constructed one each in Chikmagalur, Sakrepatna and Nidaghatta.