Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is all set to form its first government in the South, has received overwhelming support. This time from the captains of the industry in Karnataka.
Apex industry and trade bodies while welcoming the electoral verdict in the state, have pointed out that the new government should act quickly and solve issues including infrastructure development.
The captains of industry are happy that this time Karnataka will have a stable government for the next five years. They also hope that the BJP government led by B S Yeddyurappa will take care of both urban and rural issues, and ensure a spurt in the flow of investments into the state.
In a statement, John M Panikar, president, Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) said, "We expect the new government to get into action quickly as the state faces many challenges. Karnataka has slipped in the flow of investments due to negative perceptions.
The state has underperformed both in industrial and SDP growth with the rates being lower than the national average. The government needs to address these issues on high priority."
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Infrastructure, both urban and rural, be it roads, power supply, irrigation or ports that form the backbone of the economy and, what make it competitive or otherwise, is in a disarray and must be attended to and improved, and built in a mission mode, he said.
Here, Bangalore which contributes a large share of the state's SDP and is the global face of India ought to be given a special deal besides creating the necessary environment in the tier two cities for dispersing development and removing the imbalance.
"We welcome a stable government and hope this government will take the state's glory ahead in getting new investments into the state," said S Viswanathan, Chairman, CII Karnataka.
D Muralidhar, President-Elect, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) said Bangalore city is facing a plethora of problems. There are a lot of infrastructure bottlenecks as the city has become bigger. Many projects have remained non-starters while those which took off did not see any progress.
The Metro rail project is limping. The new government will have to act quickly and provide the required impetus if the city has to remain on the global map.
Sushil Mantri, CMD, Mantri Developers said, "People have given a clear verdict which will result in a stable government. The govermnent will thereby work towards the growth of the state. It will also help in solving the infrastructure issues prevailing in the state."
FKCCI is hopping that the new government will provide stability in administration and improving the overall economic climate by bringing in more investments into the state and also give an impetus to the agricultural and industrial development.
Panikar said, "As far as Bangalore is concerned, the new government should tackle the deficiencies in city roads, public transportation, traffic management, solid waste management, power and water supply on a war footing to revive and improve the image of the city.
Needless to say efficient project management, particularly connectivity to the new airport and Metro rail are key to bringing about a change for the better."