Thursday, March 30, 2006

Koramangala and Kizhkattalai.. some comparisons

IBNLive : Bangalore: A city united in its woes This is getting interesting.. I am using this set of articles by CNN-IBN to write my observations of similarities that exist between Koramangala and similar places in Chennai itself. I have myself visited this area (Koramangala).. and I very much agree that this is much more posh and hi-funda compared to the other areas that I visited in Bangalore. And more importantly .. it's the area that generates so much income by virtue of Sofware exports that it will figure prominently even on the National Map because of it's ability to earn foreign exchange. Take similar areas in Chennai.. say the Industrial Estate in Guindy.. or even better.. the Industrial Estate in Kizhkattalai (dunno if some body would have even heard of it.. but that's where my Father's factory is..) And it's a better case because I know what happens there directly. One might wonder what's the connection between Koramangala and such industrial estates.. But I feel that even though their scales are not even comparable, their contribution to the Indian Economy is much the same in principle.. But take their downsides..The roads are downright bad.... I have seen better ones in some odd village in Erode..Now if that area is an industrial estate.. just imagine the revenue that the government gets out of it.. (even after the owners devise all ways to evade taxes)..and not to forget the officials' dealings under the table !! .. I feel it's enough to give the area back atleast a road..one good road.. And won't this move actually improve the area and attract more investment.. One might argue that the job of the goverment is to be a nonlinear system.. taking from one place and giving it to other places so that other places develop equally well.. I am very naive in this aspect of large scale economics and have given up trying to understand them anywhere in the near future.. but what I am saying, I feel, is just basic common sense in Business..My Father cries for every paise of tax that he pays .. not because he loses his hard earned money ( and I mean it ..I know how much my Father sweats it out for the money that he earns) but because he doesn't even get basic facilities in return. And the owners have every right to demand better facilities.. Forget the owners crying for all this.. Let's see things from the point of view of officials.. The officials have every reason to do this (giving better facilities to these people) because these industries have massive growth potential..since they are still in their infancy. A simple facility like a good road.. might for all you know double the economic output or even better..start off a few more companies in that area.. (and on the lighter side.. though it's a serious issue.. increase the value of the "under the table dealings" as well..!!!!!) I urge the officials to think BIG !! and MORE IMPORTANTLY THE OWNERS OF SUCH INDUSTRIES TO USE THEIR MUSCLE (what ever little that they have) TO ACCELERATE DEVELOPMENT BOTH IN THEIR INTEREST AND OTHERS.

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