IT boom has hit middle class hard, says Kumaraswamy

IT boom has hit middle class hard, says Kumaraswamy

The Hindu

`They are unable to cope with the skyrocketing land prices and unaffordable cost of living'

# IT growth has made the city almost unaffordable for native Bangaloreans
# Rs. 12-crore grant for sanitation in the Peenya Industrial Estate to be approved on May 9
# Government to check requirements before sanctioning land for companies

Bangalore: The boom in information technology has had its own adverse effects. It has put to hardship the families belonging to the middle class and the lower middle class, which are unable to cope with the skyrocketing land prices and the unaffordable cost of living, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said here on Monday.

Addressing the valedictory function of the silver jubilee celebrations of the Peenya Industries Association, he said that though IT had witnessed an unprecedented growth in the city, it has made the place almost unaffordable for native Bangaloreans whose very existence had become difficult.

The Government was looking into strategies to better this situation. The business establishments should necessarily look at diverting from Bangalore and going to places such as Dharwad, Mangalore and Mysore.

Lauding his father and president of the Janata Dal (Secular) H.D. Deve Gowda, on his vision to come up with the Ring Road, Mr. Kumaraswamy said that this has decongested traffic in the city to a significant extent. He also complemented him for bringing in seven tmcft of Cauvery water to Bangalore without which there would have been a severe water crisis.

"When the IT companies rebelled for their demands, the Government charted out measures to meet their needs, but the Peenya Industrial Estate has silently suffered for about 25 years now. Though business in Peenya amounts to a significant Rs. 15,000 crore, and Rs. 6,000 crore on export, many of the demands have remained unfulfilled," the Chief Minister said.

He said that the Rs. 12 crore grant for sanitation in the Peenya Industrial Estate would be approved on May 9. On losing the Fab City project to Hyderabad, Mr. Kumaraswamy said that he wanted the project to come up not in Bangalore but at Nanjangud as it would result in more and more congestion.

He said that business establishments, which seek thousands of acres of land, cannot have it sanctioned. The Government will check on the requirements and sanction only what is needed. He said that the plans for the peripheral Ring Road with 24 lanes are in progress.

He condemned the illegal mining activities in Bellary. He said based on the report, which would be out in a week, stringent action would be taken against those involved.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare R. Ashok said that for the overall development of the city, all the city municipal councils should be under one roof, that is the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike.