A year after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced the setting up of a Jewellery Park in Bengaluru, the Karnataka Jewellery Association has pushed for the park to be set up soon.
The proposal has been at a standstill as the government has been unable to identify land for the project, Jewellers' Association president Prashant Mehta told DH.
The Association met Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani on Thursday.
Acquiring land in Bengaluru has turned out to be a challenge. The Association had sought space near the Bengaluru airport. We had also written to several deputy commissioners in the neighbouring districts. However, there has been no response until now, Mehta said.
Meanwhile, the minister proposed to set up the park on a 100-acre space in Kalaburagi, where customers can purchase gold under one roof. With Kalaburagi having an airport and adequate infrastructure for the park, it would give an impetus to the industry, Nirani's office said.
Industry representatives said they were open to a park in Kalaburagi as long as there was a primary park in Bengaluru. "There are small clusters of manufacturers working from dingy spaces in the Nagarthpet area. All of them will get better working conditions if the government grants land for the park in Bengaluru," Mehta added.
Speaking to DH, B Ramachari, chairman of Karnataka Jewellery Manufacturers' Association and Karnataka Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council said Bengaluru was the hub of gold jewellery manufacturing in South India.
"Bengaluru airport also sees the highest quantum of gold import. Such a park will give impetus to the industry," he said, adding that similar parks are functional in West Bengal and Maharashtra. The Association has sought parks in Bengaluru and Kalaburagi in two phases.
The Association has also sought GST concession in order to give boost to the industry.
In the 2022-23 Budget, Bommai had promised a 'Mega Jewellery Park' in Bengaluru under a public-private partnership. This was expected to provide jobs to nearly 10,000 workmen.