Udupi: Deputy commissioner Swaroopa TK has called on officials to take proactive steps towards establishing more industrial units in Udupi district to generate employment opportunities for the local population.Chairing a series of key meetings at the Rajathadri, including the District Level Kaigarika Spandana Samithi, District Single Window Clearance Committee, Export Promotion Committee, and the District-Level Monitoring Committee (DLMC) for the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), recently, she outlined a multi-pronged strategy for industrial development.To accelerate the creation of industrial zones, she directed officials to fast-track land acquisition and related processes at Shivapura in Hebri taluk (74.8 acres), Kerebettu (38.7 acres), Nitte in Karkala (50.4 acres), and Uppoor in Brahmavar taluk (101.1 acres).The DC expressed concern over the decline in trade volume this year. While the district recorded business worth Rs 2,496.2 crore in 2023–24, the current year (2024–25) has so far seen only Rs 1,930.3 crore. Fish exports, a major contributor, dropped from 1,07,989.5 metric tonnes (Rs 1,726.2 crore) to 76,531 metric tonnes (Rs 1,084.7 crore). She urged the fisheries department to extend full support to exporters to improve export volume in the remaining fiscal year.The DC warned that plots lying idle without development would be reclaimed and reallocated. Referring to the Dr Sarojini Mahishi Committee Report, she reiterated that local Kannadigas must be given preference in employment, especially in Class-D jobs, even in the absence of formal qualifications. She urged industries to ramp up recruitment by increasing awareness through advertisements and outreach.The DC also called attention to the delay in land acquisition for road expansion to the Belapu Industrial Area, instructing officials to prioritise the work. Concerns were raised regarding the operations of the RMC unit in the Shivalli Industrial Area, where original allottees had leased plots without obtaining necessary permissions. These units were reportedly causing air and water pollution. The DC instructed the Pollution Control Board to revoke environmental clearances granted to such units.She directed the industry department to convene a joint meeting with exporters and relevant departments to strategise on boosting export volumes from the district.
