Cabinet Meet 18.01.2011

Bangalore,Jan 18 (PTI) Karnataka Government today enhanced allocation for the state's first DNA Centre from Rs four crore to Rs 12.15 Crore to fund its expansion and research activities. A sum of Rs four crore had been earmarked for the Centre in the 2010-11 budget and another Rs 8.15 crore was sanctioned today at a cabinet meeting, Minister for Higher Education V S Acharya told reporters here after the meeting. The Centre functioning at the Dharwad University is engaged in research work in genetic diseases like Haemophilia, Anemia,Sickle Cell,Breast Cancer, Uterine Cancer among others. The cabinet approved payment of revised AICTE payscales to teaching staff in 19 aided engineering colleges with retrospective effect from April one, 2010, Acharya said. Following the revision of scales, the pay slabs for lecturers would increase from Rs 8,000 to Rs 15,000 to Rs 19,000, Associate Professors and professors from Rs 12,000-18,000 to Rs 37,400-67,000. The meeting approved the proposal of Karnataka State Road Transport Coproration to raise Rs 200 crore loan in two packages of Rs 100 crore each and also that of the BBMP for a similar amount. The cabinet meeting decided to conduct the state's first ever Agricultural Investment meet during this May-June, Acharya said.

Karnataka to promote smaller cities as tech hubs

Bangalore: Four electronic hardware parks and promotion of smaller cities as tech-hubs are proposed in Karnataka's new information technology and electronics hardware policy, state minister V.S. Acharya said on Tuesday.

The new policy will promote IT and related industries in smaller cities, the medical education minister said.

The electronic hardware parks will come up in the regions of Bangalore-Tumkur and Mysore-Nanjangud in the south, Shimoga-Hassan in central part, and Hubli-Dharwad in the north, Acharya, who is also the cabinet spokesman, told reporters. He added that the government will provide Rs 25 crore for the project in the 2011-12 state budget to be presented in February.

About 1,000 acres of land has been identified for setting up each of the parks, Acharya said.

Karnataka has exported software worth Rs 75,000 crore so far in current financial year that ends March 31.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said in October that he hoped the export to touch Rs 90,000 crore by March. IBN Live