Karnataka’s draft Industrial Policy proposes subsidies for MSMEs, industrial parks

Policy

Apart from investment subsidies, the policy proposes subsidies on power, stamp duty and also concession for those industries that set up effluent treatment plants within their premises.

Theja Ram

Representation photo

The Karnataka Ministry of Industries and Commerce has proposed a draft of the five-year plan for industrial development in the state, which is pending cabinet approval. The Industrial Policy 2020-25 offers various investment subsidies to micro, small and medium enterprises as well as for large, mega, ultra-mega and super mega industries.  Apart from investment subsidies, the policy proposes subsidies on power, stamp duty and also concession for those industries that set up effluent treatment plants within their premises.  Read: How Karnataka govt is planning to make the state the ‘factory of the future’ Concessions for MSMEs The policy has divided various taluks in the state into four zones. The zones are divided from one to four with zone 1 containing the most backward districts and zone 4 containing urban centres like Bengaluru and Mysuru.  Investment promotion subsidies up to 30% of value of fixed assets (VFA) will be offered to micro enterprises in zone 1, 25% of VFA for enterprises in zone 2 and 15% VFA for those in zone 3. For enterprises run by those under the special category including women, members of the Dalit and Adivasi communities, ex-servicemen, those from minority communities and persons with disabilities, the policy proposes separate incentives. For those under special category in zone 1, 35% of VFA will be offered, while those in zones 2, 3 and 4 will get 30%, 20% and 10% VFA as promotion subsidies.  If the policy gets the cabinet’s approval, MSMEs will be given interest subsidy on technology upgradation loans up to 10% for a period of five years. These concessions will not be applicable to loans obtained from Karnataka State Financial Corporation and commercial banks not listed under credit linked capital subsidy scheme of the government of India.  MSMEs will be exempted from stamp duty on registration of land depending on the zone where the enterprise will be established. The policy proposes waiving 100% stamp duty for enterprises in zones 1 and 2, and 75% of the stamp duty in zone 3. However, for those enterprises run by persons under special category, a 100% concession of stamp duty is proposed in zones 1, 2 and 3 and 75% concession in zone 4. It also proposes reimbursement of land conversion fee up to 100% for enterprises in zone 1 and 2 and 75% for those in zones 3. Micro and small enterprises will be offered interest subsidies if loans are obtained from public service banks at a rate of 3% per annum for 5 years. MSMEs will also be offered a 100% exemption from tax on electricity tariff for a period of 7 years in zone 1, 6 years in zone 2 and 5 years in zone 3. Micro and small enterprises will also be able to avail reimbursement of power tariff at the rate of Rs 1 per unit for a period of three years.  MSMEs will also be offered subsidies for setting up rainwater harvesting systems, waste water recycling, reimbursement of expenses for water audit and also recycling of electronic and plastic waste. In addition, subsidies are being offered for those enterprises setting up effluent treatment plants within their premises.  Large, mega, ultra mega and super mega enterprises For large enterprises with investment on fixed assets between Rs 10 crore and Rs 250 crore, the policy proposes investment promotion subsidy based on turnover. These subsidies are also handed out with priority given to those in zones 1, 2 and 3. The draft policy mandates minimum direct employment for 100 employees for the first Rs 250 crore and additional employment of 20 personnel for every additional investment of Rs 50 crore.  In zone 1, 65% of VFA will be offered for a turnover rate of 2.75% for a period of seven years. In zone 2, 55% VFA is being offered for 2.5% turnover for six years and 45% VFA for large enterprises in zone 3 with 2.5% turnover rate.  Industrial Parks will be exempted from tax on electricity tariff on sale of self-generated or purchased electricity for a period of 9 years in zone 1, 8 years in zone 2 and 7 years in zone 3. A one-time capital subsidy of 50% of the total cost of setting up an effluent treatment plant up to Rs 500 lakh within the premises of the industrial area will be offered. A one-time subsidy up to Rs 1 crore for setting up a sewage treatment plant within the industrial area is also being proposed.   

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'Law' review: Ragini Prajwal's courtroom drama is let down by bad writing

Review

Ragini is earnest as a young woman fighting the system for justice, but there's barely any thought given to her character.

Sowmya Rajendran

Raghu Samarth's court room drama Law joins the long list of films about rape and revenge that have become a staple in women-led cinema in recent years. While the trend may mark a welcome shift in narratives about sexual assault that traditionally indulged in victim-blaming, quite a few of these films fall into the trap of easy solutions offered by vigilante justice. Like Ponmagal Vandhal, the first south film to have a direct release on Amazon Prime Video, Law too has a rape survivor arguing her own case in court. Ragini Prajwal plays Nandini, a law graduate who files a police complaint of gangrape against three well-connected men. The film opens with Nandini flagging down a car to take her to the police station. The officer in charge (Mandya Ramesh) treats the case as a joke and subjects her to insensitive comments. I suppose these scenes were included to stress upon how rape survivors are treated by law enforcement but the writing is so caricature-ish that the seriousness of the situation completely escapes us. Ragini is earnest as a young woman fighting the system for justice, but there's barely any thought given to her character. The rest of the cast, too, suffers from poor writing. The director treats them like puppets to force intrigue into the script. Ludicrous twists are justified with even sillier explanations that are far from convincing. Achyuth Kumar plays Nandini's senior while Siri Prahalad plays his daughter who has a speech disability. The two of them are pivotal to the plot, but all that the disjointed screenplay gives us is a cliched happy family portrayal that would fit a 30 second ad for a washing machine. Serious scenes are interrupted by jolly songs and dances, and even the courtroom does not escape this distracting treatment. Mukhyamantri Chandru appears as the judge in the case, and is forced to perform some 'comedy' with his wife calling him on the mobile phone as he's listening to the arguments in the gangrape case. What really was the need to dilute the already wobbly drama? Rajesh Nataranga plays the defence lawyer of the accused (who have VILLAIN painted all over them). The face-off between Nandini and him, however, looks more like a squabble between school children rather than arguments made in court. Hebbale Krishna as Brahma, the police officer who takes over the case, needs only a few days to 'crack' it. But the evidence is thinner than air — grand statements like collecting DNA from the crime scene are made, but it's anyone's guess how Brahma zeroes in on the three accused and decides that they are the culprits when he hasn't yet arrested them to obtain their DNA samples for a match. Such loopholes could have been forgiven in police procedurals of the '90s but in the year 2020, when Kannada cinema has delivered convincing thrillers like Kavaludaari, films like Law fall very short indeed. Forget the lack of research, even the film's 'message' about sexual violence is clouded by patriarchal thinking. While Nandini spouts progressive lines about drinking and modern attire not being an invitaton for rape (heavily inspired by Pink), the film also has a sympathetic father saying things like, "I know nobody will marry you because you've told the world that you're a rape victim". And that's supposed to tell us how great a father he is. Narratives that constantly underline how a rape survivor has no hope of happines in the future only do a disservice to real life victims. Law tries to be a clever film with its twists but all that it succeeds in doing is to tie itself up in knots. Disclaimer: This review was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the series/film. TNM Editorial is independent of any business relationship the organisation may have with producers or any other members of its cast or crew.

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Pourakarmika with COVID-19 dies in Bengaluru, family alleges treatment refused

Coronavirus

Her family claimed that she was denied treatment in seven hospitals and that she was not given ventilator support in time.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

A 28-year-old pourakarmika in Bengaluru who tested positive for the coronavirus died on Thursday reportedly after struggling to get treatment. Shilpa, who works in ward 22 Vishwanath Nagenahalli, was unwell for the past four days and was admitted to the Ambedkar Medical College on Wednesday after she tested positive for coronavirus. She was a resident of Benson Town. As per Times of India, she was allegedly refused treatment in as many as seven hospitals. Her husband Prasad told the newspaper that he reached out to seven hospitals when her COVID-19 test result returned positive on Wednesday, but she was told that there were no vacant beds or ventilators.  After an argument with the hospital staff, she was admitted at the BR Ambedkar Medical College and Hospital where she was asked to wait till a senior doctor arrived so that a decision can be taken over shifting her to a private hospital with a ventilator. According to Prasad, she was not given ventilator support in time and that led to her death on Thursday morning.  BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said that health department officials are looking into the issue and will ensure that precautionary measures are taken for the safety of workers. He also said that the family's claims of denial of beds and lack of ventilators available in hospitals will also be addressed, The Hindu reported.  The incident comes one week after pourakarmikas in the city held a protest on July 10 calling for safety and precautions to be taken to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was staged in locations across the city where workers register their attendance every day. It was held after 23 pourakarmikas tested positive in a randomised testing done by the BBMP. Bengaluru reported 2,344 COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the single-highest number of cases recorded in a day in the city. The number of active cases in the city rose to  18,828.

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Bengaluru has 5,598 containment zones, majority of them are in south zone

COVID-19

Shanthala Nagar reported 139 new COVID-19 cases as on July 16, followed by Hemmigepura (33), Basavanagudi (32), Agrahara Dasarahalli (26) and Rajaji Nagar (25).

TNM Staff

Between July 15 and 16, Bengaluru saw a rise of 369 COVID-19 cases. While Karnataka recorded 4,196 fresh cases, about 56% of them were reported in Bengaluru, as 2,344 patients tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday. The number of active containment zones in the city alarmingly rose from 3,452 to 5,598, per the data released by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on July 15. According to the bulletin on Thursday evening, the number has not changed, and the total containment zones that Bengaluru has recorded so far stands at 7,053. Here is the zone-wise distribution of containment zones: South Active: 2,045 Returned to normal: 453 East Active: 955 Returned to normal: 472 West Active: 762 Returned to normal: 163 Bommanahalli Active: 698 Returned to normal: 109 RR Nagara Active: 413 Returned to normal: 61 Mahadevapura Active: 378 Returned to normal: 111 Yelahanka Active: 245 Returned to normal: 61 Dasarahalli Active: 102 Returned to normal: 25 As on July 15, 6,371 streets and 621 apartment complexes have been identified as containment zones. Streets with the residence of COVID-19 patients will be earmarked as a containment zone. In apartment complexes, apart from the entire floor that has the flat of the COVID-19 patient, floors immediately below and above, too, are demarcated as containment zones. Ward-wise distribution of COVID-19 cases According to BBMP, in the last 24 hours, South zone accounted for 24% of the cases under its limit, followed by East zone (26%), West zone (22%), Bommanahalli zone (8%), Rajarajeswari or RR Nagara zone (7%), Mahadevapura zone (6%), Yelahanka (5%) and Dasarahalli zone (2%). A total of 196 wards (out of 198) under BBMP have more than 50 cases, except West, 35, Aramane Nagar (ward 35, West zone) and Rajagopal Nagar (ward 70, Dasarahalli zone). Some of the new wards that have reported over 50 cases are: Yelahanka: Chowdeswari ward, Atturu, Yelahanka Sattelite town, Kodeigehali, Dodda Bommasandra, Kuvempu Nagar Dasarahalli: Shetthali, Mallasandra, Bagalakunte, T Dasarahalli, Chokkasandra RR Nagara: Jalahalli, JP Park, Yeshwanthpura East: Hebbala, Vishwanath Nagenhalli, Nagavara, Kammanahalli, Kushal Nagar, Gangenahalli, Jeevanbhima Nagar, Jogupalya Mahadevapura: Ramamurthy Nagar, Garudachar palya, Kadugodi West: Mattikere, Okalipuram, Dayananda Nagar, Prakash Nagar South: Hosakerehalli, Banashankari Temple ward Bommanahalli: Jaraganahalli In the last 24 hours, as on July 16, Shanthala Nagar has reported 139 new cases, followed by Hemmigepura (33), Basavanagudi (32), Agrahara Dasarahalli (26)  and Rajaji Nagar (25). Other areas like Koramangala had 24 new cases, BTM Layout had 23 cases, Jayanagar had 24 cases, Madivala had 22 new cases and Chamrajapet had 23 cases, among others.  Read: Fear of corona has made it easy to implement lockdown: B'luru Police Commissioner to TNM No movement to and from Bengaluru city unless an emergency till July 22 Karnataka Min Sriramulu clarifies ‘only god can save us’ comment, says govt doing best

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Siddaramaiah slams changes to Land Reforms Act, will challenge it

Politics

"We will challenge the ordinance till the state government withdraws it. It's against the farmers' interests and favours corporate bodies and real estate sharks," Siddaramaiah said.

TNM Staff

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday attacked the BJP government over changes to the Land Reforms Act that liberalised farmland ownership. The changes were confirmed on July 13 when the Land Reforms Act, 1961 was changed through an ordinance and notified after Governor Vajubhai Vala gave his assent. It allows even non-farmers to buy agricultural land and grow food crops. "We will challenge the ordinance till the state government withdraws it. It's against the farmers' interests and favours corporate bodies and real estate sharks," Congress legislative party leader Siddaramaiah said. The changes amounted to almost repealing the entire Act and the protection to poor and small farmers under it had been taken away, the senior Congress leader said, demanding its withdrawal. Siddaramaiah said the Congress will organise a statewide agitation from village level, along with farmers organisations and other like minded parties, against the ordinance. Denying the charges, state Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan said the amendments were made as the existing Act was unique. Pointing out that Congress legislators had supported the amendments earlier, he expressed surprise over Siddaramaiah criticising the ordinance and ruled out its withdrawal. Ashwath Narayan said that the government will not withdraw the ordinance at any cost. "While there was one kind of Act across the country, it was different in Karnataka and was in no way useful to farmers and people. Its misuse had led to a lot of corruption, and the amendments are pro development," the Deputy CM was quoted as saying by his office in a release. The changes included easing restrictions on buying of agricultural land and ceiling on the extent of land one can hold. "The BJP government in Karnataka has made amendments to the Land Reforms Act and brought out an ordinance on July 13 despite stiff opposition from us," Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, said.  "I had initially thought that the government will not come out with the ordinance at a time when COVID-19 was spreading, but the government did," he said. "If the government had good intentions, it should have brought it (the measure) during the assembly session and also had a public debate on the issue," the opposition leader added. The ordinance has repealed Sections 79 (A), (B) and (C) from the original Act, and made way for non-agriculturists to buy farmland. Siddaramaiah claimed 13,814 pending cases of violation in land use would get dismissed under the latest ordinance and alleged there was a bigger conspiracy behind it. "This looks like a scam bigger than the mining scam, as several cases or petitions that were pending under sections 79 (A), (B) are dismissed, and they were related to violation in use of land worth about Rs 45,000-50,000 crore," he said. The mining scam rocked the BJP government in power in Karnataka from 2008 to 2013. Gali Janardhana Reddy and Somashekara Reddy, two BJP ministers at the time, were accused of illegally mining iron ore after paying royalty to the government.  With PTI inputs

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Who took down the CDC’s coronavirus data? The agency itself.

Alarm over the missing data, which was restored Thursday, became the latest source of tension between the CDC and administration officials.

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Hospitals’ recovery plans clash with new Covid infections

Hospital chains saw the summer as a potential respite when they could resume elective procedures. But that effort is colliding with a surge in new coronavirus cases nationwide.

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