Karnataka’s Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil, expressed mixed feelings about the Union Budget’s proposal to develop high-speed rail corridors between Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Bengaluru-Chennai. While welcoming the initiative, he noted that the benefits are limited as the proposed routes do not cover significant distances within Karnataka. Patil suggested that a corridor between Bengaluru and Pune would have been more beneficial and called for bipartisan support from Karnataka and Maharashtra MPs to address this issue.
He also highlighted the absence of provisions in the Budget for key state projects, such as declaring the Upper Krishna Project a national project and releasing funds for the Upper Bhadra Project. Patil expressed disappointment over the lack of schemes supporting the farming community in the Budget. Despite some positive aspects like plans for university townships and medical tourism hubs influenced by Karnataka’s KWIN City concept, he criticized the Budget for overlooking crucial defense corridor projects that could leverage Karnataka’s aerospace and defense industry capabilities.
Patil emphasized the significance of the KWIN City project, covering 5,000 acres and featuring global university campuses, hospitals, and research institutions. He mentioned ongoing initiatives under this project and expressed hope for their completion within the next two years. The minister pointed out that the Budget’s focus on projects similar to those initiated by Karnataka reflects the state’s development models.
Acknowledging the Budget’s proposal for a biopharma hub, Patil credited Karnataka’s efforts in this sector and highlighted the state’s influence on the Budget’s development-oriented initiatives. He called for the Central government to allocate more beneficial projects to Karnataka, considering the state’s substantial contributions in tax revenue and industrial growth.
