Udupi: Minister for Large and Medium Industries Jagadish Shettar instructed the Udupi district administration to identify land to set up a furniture cluster in the district to manufacture wooden furniture.

Speaking at a meeting in Udupi, the Minister said that since the coastal belt had ports, quality timber can be imported for manufacturing furniture and such goods can also be exported. It will help create employment opportunities.

The government will support the setting up of the cluster once land is identified.

The Minister said that he has instructed the district administrations to develop different clusters for the growth of the industrial sector in the State. A toy manufacturing cluster will come up at Koppal and pharma clusters will be set up in Yadgir-Raichur districts.

He said that his department will review whether land allotted to different industries in Udupi to open their units have been utilised or not. The Minister instructed entrepreneurs to employ locals in their units and implement the Sarojini Mahishi Report while recruiting employees.

Mr. Shettar said that a detailed project report will be prepared for the development of Belikeri Port in Uttara Kannada. The government has allowed opening of industries in tier I and tier II cities to avoid concentration of industries in Bengaluru alone. With this, employment opportunities will be created in such cities.

Minister for Fisheries, Ports, Inland Water Transport and Muzrai Kota Srinivasa Poojary, chairman of the Coastal Development Authority Mattar Ratnakar Hegde, Udupi Zilla Panchayat president Dinakar Babu, MLAs K. Raghupati Bhat and Halady Srinivasa Shetty and Deputy Commissioner G. Jagadeesha were present.