Chidanandamurthy, a professor of Kannada and president of the Anti Japanese Township Forum, says the Japanese township project offers no advantages and will only exacerbate the state's problems.

Support for the model township has been coordinated mainly by N D Gangadhar, president of the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Assn.

Foreign buyers of Indian carpets insist that if child weavers are employed, they will not accept the product. The Indian government and manufacturers must now find a way out to protect a multi crore industry.

A computerised information service on the relevant technology and potential for an industrial venture will soon be in the market.