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BANGALORE, Sept. 6

THE Industries and Commerce Department (DIC) has said that it does not envisage the need for the formation of four regional offices to serve the key areas of Hyderabad-Karnataka, Mysore, Hubli-Belgaum and Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada as suggested in a report of the Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC).

In its view, the DIC said there was no need for an additional tier at the divisional level.

"We do not agree with the recommendation for two reasons. First, we do not envisage a role for an additional tier at the divisional level since the sub-division or district field formation would adequately meet field activity requirements. The second reason is that the Government is already in the process of winding-up other divisional level offices as they are redundant," the DIC said.

While in broad agreement with the recommendations and reforms measures proposed by ARC, the Department, in a summary of its views on the ARC's recommendations, has set out broad implementation plan under which it has proposed abolishing apiculture development like bee-keeping and trying outsourcing by linking it to apiaries and outsource capability from the market. "The bee-keeping assistants and organisers or demonstrators have added little value to apiculture development," the Department said.

Pointing out that a substantial scope for downsizing existed at the functional level, DIC said that a random study conducted by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, had pointed to the need for rationalising the staffing ratio vis-à-vis the workload in the District Industrial Centres and Taluk Industrial Centres (TICs).

While the Department has realised the significance of the recommendation of ARC on the staffing ratio to increase productivity, it has said "while we have adopted the recommended staffing ratio as a broad guideline, we have departed from it based on ground realities and field requirements in finalising the downsizing proposal".

As part of the reforms to adopt effective staffing pattern to maximise productivity, the Industry Department has decided to restructure 42 training institutions under its wing.

Consequently, it proposes to have only one training centre in each district, which will be strengthened suitably to be able to play a more effective role in meeting the entrepreneurial skill development needs in the districts.

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