Mandya to get world-class ARAI centre: Kumaraswamy
Mysuru (Karnataka) (PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy has said that a global-standard ARAI centre will be set up in Mandya, his Lok Sabha constituency, at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore.
He described it as a major contribution to the region and a significant boost for Karnataka's automobile sector.
Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Kumaraswamy said the proposed centre would require 100 acres of land and that the Centre had taken steps to secure it from the state government.
"My aspiration is that this world-class centre of quality and excellence be established in Mandya," the Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel said, underlining the importance of the project.
He added that he had written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking the allotment of land for it.
"I have written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah requesting the allocation of land. I am confident it will be provided at the earliest," he said, adding that funds for the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) centre had already been earmarked in the budget.
Calling the project "extremely important", Kumaraswamy said the proposed ARAI facility would benefit not only Mandya and the Mysuru region but also serve as a catalyst for the automobile sector across the state.
Explaining the role of ARAI, he said it is a premier autonomous research and development organisation under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and serves as the principal authority for testing, certification, and research in the Indian automotive sector.
Headquartered in Pune, ARAI acts as a bridge between the government and the automobile industry by ensuring compliance with standards related to vehicle safety, emissions control, and technical quality, he said.
Kumaraswamy added that on January 21, the Additional Chief Secretary of the State Revenue Department had written to the Mandya Deputy Commissioner, directing the identification of suitable land for the project.
The minister, responding to questions about his work in Mandya since being elected, said that some MLAs had repeatedly questioned him on the matter.
"This ARAI centre is my answer. In the first phase alone, Rs 500 crore will be invested, and more investments will follow. Once the state government allocates land, we will move swiftly to implement the project. So far, the CM has not responded," he said, adding the Centre is committed to strengthening the automobile sector in Karnataka.
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New Delhi (PTI): Prices of aviation turbine fuel (ATF), or jet fuel, were more than doubled to a record Rs 2.07 lakh per kilolitre on Wednesday, driven by the the surge in global oil prices linked to the widening West Asia conflict.
This is the first time ATF prices have crossed the Rs 2 lakh per kilolitre (kl)-mark.
ATF prices in Delhi were hiked to Rs 207,341.22 per kl, from Rs 96,638.14 per kl.
On March 1, prices of jet fuel were hiked by 5.7 per cent (Rs 5,244.75 per kl).
