Karnataka to withdraw 23 church attack cases

BANGALORE:  The Cabinet which met here on Thursday decided to withdraw 23 cases filed against members of the Christian community during the 2008 Mangalore church attacks, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sureshkumar said.Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Sureshkumar said Karnataka Christian Organisations International Federation and the Christian Diocese, Mangalore, had appealed to the government to withdraw the cases filed against Christians in the aftermath of church attack. He said the government agreed to drop all 23 cases against several Christians in Mangalore.In another decision, the Cabinet approved to extend tax concessions to seven textile projects approved during the GIM held in June last year with an investment of over Rs 1,866 crore.He said the concessions included giving subsidy of Rs 1 per unit of power consumed by the textile manufacturing units, Rs 50 lakh subsidy to set up waste water treatment plant and Rs 10 crore towards capital promotion fund. “The seven major projects in textile sectors are expected to generate over 94,800 jobs and all would come up in backward areas,” he said.The government would extend Rs 50 lakh subsidy to these seven projects towards payment of PF and ESI for the first five years.The Cabinet approved the proposal to waive interest component of Rs 1.07-crore loans given by the Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation to weavers. The interest waiver would be given to those who would pay principal amount of `21 lakh before March, 2012.This apart, the Cabinet cleared the proposal to extend tax concessions and rebate in entry tax to M/S Toyota Auto Parts Limited, a 100 per cent export- oriented unit to set up at Bidadi in Ramanagara with investment of over Rs 230 crore.The exemptions, which could be availed till March 2014, included stamp duty to purchase 17 acre KIADB, entry tax rebate for importing machines to set up the plant, except for petroleum.The Cabinet approved exemption of taxes on procurement of raw materials, components and consumable products till March 2017.It was also decided to exempt the imposition of work contract tax till March 2014, he said. The minister said the Cabinet agreed to release Rs 5 crore to Horticulture Department to construct a glass house and create a public park like Lalbagh in Bangalore at Belgaum district.The Cabinet decided not to increase its equity in BIAL by accepting offer of Siemens Ltd’s stake of 3 per cent.