Sunday, March 6 2005 13:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Approaching a year in office, surviving coalition blues, Karnataka Chief Minister Dharam Singh wants to dispel the image that his Government is ill disposed towards development of Information Technology (IT) or infrastructure sector and says he is prepared to talk to naxalites if they shed arms.

In Delhi on a short but hectic visit, the 69-year-old Congressman from the backward Gulbarga region said, in a wide-ranging interview that his Government is "well settled" now and faces no threat from any quarter.

Facing the problem of extremism in the Malnad region, where recently eight policemen were killed in Chikmagalur by naxalites, the Chief Minister declared that like in Andhra Pradesh his Government was prepared to talk to the naxalites, if they come to the negotiating table.

"I am ready to talk with them. But they should give up the weapons and come for talks. At the same time the police will ensure that there is law and order and peace in society. Violence will not be allowed," he said.

He also met Home Minister Shivraj Patil for additional grants from the Centre to provide relief package for tribal families in the forest areas, whose discontent is exploited by the naxalites.

Patil said that he is planning to hold the meeting of southern States in Bangalore to discuss the naxalites problem.

Singh said that the main problem was not the violence but lack of development over which naxalites organise people. His Government has already sanctioned a Rs 23 crore scheme for development of Malnad areas.

On a rash of reports that his Government was not interested about IT sector or infrastructure development, he said, "It is a question of perception. Our government is pro-poor and pro-farmer and that gave some scope for our detractors to carry on a campaign against the coalition Government."

He said that he has had meetings with IT leaders like Infosys mentor N R Narayanamurthy and had sorted out problems.

"I have convinced the IT sector about whatever decision we have taken. We have created confidence about our Government," he said.

Referring to the campaign that his Government had not done anything for removing the infrastructure bottlenecks, especially in Bangalore, he said the Government has already sanctioned Rs 135 crore for Bangalore Corporation for development of 1,940 km of roads in the city.

He pointed out that in the city, which now has a population of 85 lakh, they had already completed six flyovers.