Bengaluru suffering from apathy of state govt; investors moving away: Goyal
New Delhi (PTI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday slammed the Karnataka government for its apathy towards India's Silicon Valley in Bengaluru that is leading to many investors shifting away from the state.
In response to a post on social media platform X by Karnataka's Minister for Commerce and Industries and Infrastructure M B Patil, Goyal also said the central government continues to support the state even in developing an industrial township in Tumakuru under the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.
"In fact, Hon'ble Minister @MBPatil ji and his Congress Govt should try to make Tumakuru industrial township into a Silicon Valley rather than deriding India's progress," Goyal said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The Karnataka minister's post followed Goyal's suggestion about setting up township for startups.
On September 16, Goyal said, "We should be aspiring to go beyond. We should be aspiring to have our own silicon valley. I know Bengaluru is the Silicon Valley of India. But I think it's time we also start thinking in terms of maybe tying up with NICDC and creating a whole new township dedicated to entrepreneurs, startups, innovators, and disruptors".
In his post, the Union commerce and industry minister said the Tumakuru township has been left into a limbo by the state government, which does not even resolve their land issues.
"In fact, the delays and lack of support from the State Govt. has led to many investors shifting from Karnataka due to which thousands of jobs and crores of rupees in investments have moved from Karnataka to other States," he said.
He added that the Modi-government has a vision and commitment to build modern city infrastructure across Bharat, unlike the Congress, whose top leadership derides the country and its achievements even on foreign soil.
"Silicon Valley in Bengaluru is suffering from the apathy of the State Govt. to provide logistics support, quality infrastructure, good roads," Goyal said, adding, "Rome was not built in a day, and the world did not stop building after that! Great cities have come up since, whether it is Silicon Valley, New York, Bengaluru, or Mumbai and they have been the product of a vision for the greater good".
Creating Smart Cities and industrial townships will help achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.
"The resolve of 140 crore Indians! Our Govt. is working tirelessly to provide modern facilities, good social infrastructure and generate an ecosystem to promote industrialisation, invite investments and provide jobs for the youth of India," the minister said.
The Centre has recently approved 12 industrial townships in different states to boost domestic manufacturing and creation of jobs.
"Sorry Mr. Patil, but you have totally failed the people of Karnataka," he added.
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PM Modi likely to visit New York for UNGA session next month
United Nations (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the annual high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the UN here.
The 80th session of the UNGA will open on September 9. The high-level General Debate will run from September 23-29, with Brazil as the traditional first speaker of the session, followed by the US.
US President Donald Trump will address world leaders from the iconic UNGA podium on September 23, his first address to the UN session in his second term in the White House.
According to the provisional list of speakers for the high-level debate of the 80th session of the General Assembly, India’s “Head of Government (HG)” will address the session on the morning of September 26.
The Heads of Government of Israel, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are also scheduled to address the UNGA general debate on the same day.
Modi had travelled to the US in February this year for a bilateral meeting with Trump in the White House in Washington, DC. In a joint statement issued after their meeting, Modi and Trump had announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by the fall of 2025.
Even as trade negotiations were ongoing, Trump imposed tariffs totalling 50 per cent on India, including 25 per cent for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil that will come into effect from August 27.
Responding to the tariffs, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said that the targeting of the country is unjustified and unreasonable.
“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” it said.
Last week’s announcement of Trump’s executive order imposing the additional 25 per cent tariff came at a time when a team from the US is scheduled to visit India from August 25 for the sixth round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement.
The two countries are aiming to conclude the first phase of the pact by fall (October-November) this year.
The UNGA list of speakers for the General Debate is provisional, and there is a possibility of changes in schedules and speakers over the next few weeks. The list will continue to be updated accordingly.
Considered the “busiest diplomatic season” of the year at the United Nations Headquarters, the high-level session opens in September annually.
The session this year comes amid the continued Israel-Hamas war as well as the Ukraine conflict.
Trump has said that in the six months of his second presidential term, he has solved several wars, including a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo.
Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for stopping the May conflict between India and Pakistan.
