Beyond Bengaluru hopes to take IT to Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi cluster

HUBBALLI: The Beyond Bengaluru initiative, aimed at taking the IT industry to tier-2 and tier-3 cities in the state, was launched in Hubballi on Monday.

Higher Education, IT and BT Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan inaugurated the programme, organised by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) at a private hotel here. Beyond Bengaluru plans to take the IT industry to the Hubballi-Dharwad-Belagavi cluster.

Former CM Jagadish Shettar.

Speaking at the event, former CM Jagadish Shettar questioned the style of functioning of his own party’s government and said industries are not getting the expected support.

IT and BT Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan

“We talk about government programmes only in speeches, but they are not being implemeted. The minister and officials concerned should work on this, but nothing is happening on the ground. It is not enough to just talk about a conducive environment for industries, work should happen”, he said, in a dig at Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani.

Delegates at the Beyond Bengaluru event.

The Industries Minister had announced an international airport near Kittur. A special economic zone was also announced, but nothing has happened. The Cabinet should discuss these issues, he suggested and weighed in on Minister Ashwath Narayan to get the works done.

“When I was CM, land was allotted to Infosys. But work has not been taken up at the expected pace”, he noted.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Minister Shankar Patil Munenakoppa, MLA Aravind Bellad, Mayor Iresh Anchatageri, KDEM CEO Sanjeev Kumar were also present.