Rail budget 2012-13: Industries in Karnataka offer mixed reaction to budget

BANGALORE: Industry bodies today offered mixed reaction to the Railway budget vis-a-vis programmes for Karnataka, with the proposal on establishing a coach manufacturing unit coming in for praise.

Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce is happy about the proposed the unit in Kolar which should generate local employment and development of the region.

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Introduction of a few new trains including the AC double-decker Chennai-Bangalore (daily) and setting up of a Disaster Management Cell here for skill development are some of the welcome measures, BCIC said.

The Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry welcomed the proposal on coach factory and introduction of six new trains from Karnataka.

FKCCI President J R Bangera, however, expressed unhappiness over no completion date being set for the 13 projects being executed with the Karnataka State Government. "No mention is made about the Hubli-Ankola line", he noted.

Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association said there was very little improvement in the rail infrastructure so badly needed in ensuring connectivity in State and also for movement of freight and stores to different industrial hubs.

"The small industries in particular do not have any hope of an improved programme of Railway Workshops or for Railway maintenance", KASSIA President Prakash N Raikar said.

"There is no mention about the much spoken Industrial Corridor between Bangalore and Mumbai on which the fortune of the development of backward region rests.

In particular with the potential for locating manufacturing zones in this corridor, Karnataka is disappointed in the absence of any mention of this aspect", he said.