Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah warns of action against officials delaying investment approvals
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday warned of action against officials who delay approvals for investment proposals, citing random court orders.
He stressed that the time frame for issuing various No Objection Certificates (NOCs) should be shortened to prevent delays in investment in the state.
"Officials should not sit idle, citing the court orders as an excuse. The same order exists for neighbouring states as well. If we keep saying that problems which do not occur in other states are happening to us, action will have to be taken," Siddaramaiah said at a meeting in Vidhana Soudha on attracting capital investment.
He said the investment-friendly environment in the state should be further strengthened, according to a statement from the CMO.
"The time limit for issuing various NOCs, including the process of land use change, should be reduced. A detailed proposal should be submitted for reducing the time limit. Under no circumstances should there be any scope for delay," he added.
Expressing concern over delays in approvals from the pollution control board and the fire department, Siddaramaiah underlined the need for necessary amendments to expedite clearances.
He also asked departments to coordinate in providing essential infrastructure to industries, including roads, water, and electricity.
According to Siddaramaiah, the state attracted Rs 10.27 lakh crore in investments during this year’s Global Investors’ Meet, "of which around 60 per cent of investments are already in the implementation stage."
He noted that capital investment proposals exceeding Rs 1.5 lakh crore are at various stages of clearance.
Karnataka Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge highlighted the growth of the workforce, including skilled labour, which has contributed to steady employment generation in the state.
In this context, he stressed the need to speed up permissions for industries and related matters, urging officials not to delay investment proposals.
Kharge also noted, "Tamil Nadu has 51 Special Economic Zones (SEZ), contributing a total of 8.9 per cent to the state GDP, whereas Karnataka has only 37 SEZs but yet it contributes as much as 8.2 per cent."
He urged officials to take note of this favourable situation.
"Employment generation can happen only when capital investment increases in the state," he added.
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NEET student hangs self in Rajasthan's Sikar
Jaipur (PTI): A student preparing for the NEET examination allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in a rented room in Rajasthan's Sikar on Friday, police said.
According to the police, the student allegedly hanged himself from a ceiling fan using his sister's scarf while one sister was attending coaching classes and the other was in the bathroom.
He had appeared in the NEET UG exam 2026, which was cancelled due to paper leak, they said.
Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar said that the deceased, identified as Pradeep Meghwal, was a resident of Kanika ki Dhani village in Jhunjhunu's Gudha Gaudji area.
He had been living in a rented room in Sikar's Jaldhari Nagar area with his two sisters while preparing for NEET over the last three years.
His elder sister later found him hanging and informed the landlord and police after bringing him down, officials said.
The SHO said the body was kept at SK Hospital mortuary, and a postmortem had not been conducted.
The student's father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told police that Pradeep's NEET examination had gone well and the family was expecting him to score around 650 marks.
Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot expressed grief over the incident and linked it to anxiety among students after reports of irregularities and paper leaks in NEET 2026.
Pilot said repeated paper leak incidents and cancellation of examinations were affecting students' mental health and demanded a time-bound investigation and strict action against those responsible.
