Karnataka Budget: CM says ready to exempt GST, royalty on construction material

CM is willing to offer construction concessions in implementing the Satellite Town Ring Road project in Bengaluru and in other cities like Kalaburagi and Belagavi.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said his government was ready to offer GST and royalty exemption on cement, steel and other construction material if the Union government bears 25 per cent of the land acquisition cost for the projects.

Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari asked Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, who was present on the dais, to speed up acquisition of land to take up new projects. (PTI) (PTI)

He was speaking during the foundation laying ceremony for 925 kilometres of national highway projects worth ₹12,795 crore. Union Minister for Surface Transport and National Highways Nitin Gadkari was present on the occasion and laid the foundation stone for the projects.

Bommai said if the Centre agrees to his proposal, a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed in this regard. He also said the state government is ready to offer similar concessions in implementing the Satellite Town Ring Road project in Bengaluru and in other cities like Kalaburagi and Belagavi.

"Karnataka is a progressive state. The state government would offer complete cooperation for development works, especially in northern Karnataka," Bommai said. He was all praise for the work culture, commitment and pace of Gadkari.

"What was considered impossible earlier is now being turned into reality under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gadkari has successfully implemented Modi's thinking on the development front," Bommai said.

Stating that Gadkari has made an immense contribution to the development of northern Karnataka, Bommai said the completion of four-lane Hospet-Hubballi highway and Chitradurga-Hubballi highway has brought big relief from the problems and accidents for the people in this region. The Chief Minister requested Gadkari to take up work on Kaiga to Ilkal road as part of the Naragund-Bilagi-Gajendragad-Kushtagi-Sindhanur National Highway-115.