Coming up: PM MITRA Textile Park in Kalaburagi, and air connectivity between Bengaluru and Kalyana Karnataka

Bengaluru: Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil recently said that the first phase of the proposed PM MITRA Textile Park project in Kalaburagi would be developed through the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).

In this connection, he held an important meeting at his office in Vidhana Soudha with Kalaburagi District in-charge Minister Priyank Kharge and the Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh.

Speaking after the meeting, Patil said that a revised Detailed Project Report (DPR), incorporating external infrastructure development works related to the proposed project, would be prepared immediately.

The report would subsequently be submitted to the Central Government’s Project Approval Committee. Directions in this regard had already been issued to the Department of Handlooms and Textiles, he said.

He further said that discussions were also held on immediately initiating land allotment and internal infrastructure works for the park through KIADB. Under the Central Government’s Development Support Scheme, the textile park will receive a subsidy of ₹500 crore, which will be utilised for developing roads, water supply facilities, effluent treatment plants and residential hostels within the park, he added.

Patil noted that the textile park was expected to provide a major boost to industrial growth and employment generation in the district. He said the State implementing agency should spend at least ₹25 crore towards infrastructure development for the project, and officials were instructed during the meeting to initiate the process at the earliest.

‘Flights from Bengaluru to Bidar, Kalaburagi to resume’

Patil also announced that flight services from Bengaluru to Bidar and Kalaburagi, the district headquarters of the Kalyana Karnataka region, would resume from June 1 and June 10 respectively.

He said Star Air (Ghodawat Enterprises Limited) will operate flights on the Bengaluru-Bidar-Bengaluru and Bengaluru-Kalaburagi-Bengaluru sectors. The government was extending viability gap funding of ₹28.47 crore to support the operations, while advance booking for flights on both routes had already commenced, he added.

Patil said the flight service to Kalaburagi had earlier been suspended due to financial losses. In the case of Bidar, services were being operated with special support from the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board.

Taking into account the growth of industries, education, tourism, agriculture and commercial activities in the Kalyana Karnataka region, the Karnataka government has decided to revive the services under the regional air connectivity initiative, he said.

The Minister said the government was committed to enhancing air connectivity to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities across the State. Such initiatives would not only accelerate regional economic growth but also contribute to infrastructure development, he noted.