Bengaluru | Jul 15, 2015: The State government will revive the Chitradurga unit of Hutti Gold Mines if it is a financially viable option, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday.

Replying to a query by G H Thippareddy (BJP) in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah said that ore from Ajjanahalli gold mine in Sira taluk of Tumakuru was being brought to the processing plant in Chitradurga for extracting pure gold. However, the plant was shut down in 2002 due to losses, after which 504 employees were provided financial assistance through a voluntary retirement scheme.

The government is ready to revive the Chitradurga unit if it is made a financially viable option through the use of new mining and extraction techniques, the chief minister said.

He informed Congress member G S Patil that there was no formal communication from the Centre on the setting up of a Rs 5,000-crore steel manufacturing facility - a project planned by Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and ArcelorMittal in Dharwad. SAIL and ArcelorMittal had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in London this May for setting up a steel plant under a joint venture. Siddaramaiah said that the government would provide all support as per the provisions of its new industrial policy if the venture was set up in the State.

In a written reply to a query by S N Narayanaswamy (Congress), the chief minister said that MoUs had been signed with 245 major and medium industries for setting up units in the State. The total investment was to the tune of Rs 27,071 crore with a potential to provide employment to 29,500 people, he stated. In reply to a question by JD(S) member B B Ningaiah, Law Minister T B Jayachandra said that more than 12.5 lakh civil and criminal cases were pending in the Karnataka High Court and subordinate courts.

As many as 2.2 lakh cases are pending in the High Court and 1.19 lakh cases are pending in the chief metropolitan magistrate court in Bengaluru.

(Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/)