Monday, January 30 2006 18:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: The Janata Dal (JD) Secular (S) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government that comes into being in Karnataka on February three will be information technology-friendly and the coalition will address the infrastructure needs of the booming sector on a priority basis, Deputy Chief Minister-designate B S Yediyurappa said.

"We are not against IT and BT (biotechnology) because the entire world is looking towards Karnataka and Bangalore (for software development and outsourcing). Whatever infrastructure and other development needs like land, power that they naturally need, we will give on priority; no doubt," Yediyurappa, who is tipped to get the Finance portofolio, told sources in an interview today (Jan 30,2006).

While the Government would give top priority to the requirements in the rural areas, that does not mean that it would neglect IT and BT, Yediyurappa, who was Leader of Opposition during the Dharam Singh Government, said.

"We will be IT-friendly 100 per cent," he said.

JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda's attack on Infosys Technologies Limited and its Chief Mentor N R Narayana Murthy and land-grabbing allegations against some IT companies last year had created unease in the IT sector here.

Yediyurappa expressed the view that the Government would look at all possible ways to turn around loss-making state-owned undertakings, while disposing of unviable ones. "I am not against privatisation," he said. PSUs like NGEF (New Government Electric Factory) should be revived, the BJP leader added.