By Team Mangalorean Bangalore

BANGALORE, November 17, 2009: State Planning Board Deputy Chairman and BJP leader D H Shankaramurthy on Tuesday said there is need to focus on 12 key areas such as increasing rural income through reducing dependence on agriculture and focus on job-oriented growth, for transformation of Karnataka in the next 10 years.

Speaking at a seminar on Karnataka Vision 2020 organised by the Planning Department at the Vikasa Soudha on Tuesday, Mr Shankaramurhty said that corruption, improper governance, low quality of service delivery, infrastructure problems led to stunted growth of the Karnatakas economy over the last few years.

The Planning Department has suggested 12 key areas for transformation of Karnataka by 2020. The key areas are improvement of overall viability of agriculture, focus on job-oriented growth through skill development of the workforce, development of the State has a vibrant knowledge society, improving access and viability of health care for all, energy security, thrust on tourism, achieve sustainable and orderly process of industrialisation and urbanisation, enhance opportunity for women and empower them, economical and educational empowerment of backward classes and vulnerable groups, increase of bio-diversity and forest cover, revamping Bangalores governance structure, and empowerment of local government.

He said low achievements in poverty reduction and increasing disparities among the people and regions led to protests and frustration among the youth.

Mr Shankaramurthy said the dependence of the manpower on agriculture and allied activities resulted in the low grow rate in the state. Increased jobs other sectors would increase the income of households. The state has witnessed significant structural and economic changes over the last 50 years, he said.

Regional, social, gender and rural-urban disparities, poor delivery of services in the health and education sectors and inadequate infrastructure impeded the growth in the State. The quality services would be provided only through adopting principles of good governance, he said.

The Chief Ministers Advisor on Urbanization A Ravindra, who also served as the former Chief Secretary of Karnataka, said unlike reforms at the central level, the progress of reforms at the State level has been slow. He blamed the unresponsive governance for the low level of participation of people in developmental schemes.

Not much progress has been achieved in the land acquisition process, which impeded the setting up of industries in various districts. Making the State globally competitive destination and a leader among Indian states should be one of the core elements of Vision 2020, he said.

Heads of various departments and academicians and economists were present on the occasion.