On the eve of the high-level clearance committee meeting that will decide the fate of the Devanahalli Business Park, IT-BT Minister S.R. Patil maintains his steely resolve. “Tomorrow, we will solve this problem,” he said.
“There has been a considerable delay from the KIADB – two-and-a-half years with the BJP government and one-and-a-half with us. But they will not be allowed to get away with it. All the officers concerned will be taken to task at the meeting. Tardiness and delays simply cannot be tolerated any longer.”
With Infosys demanding a refund on its deposit in the Devanahalli Tech Park project, for which it was allotted 100 acres of land, the government has moved into action.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's visit to woo investors from Karnataka only stirred the cauldron further. “Infosys is not thinking of withdrawing from Karnataka,” maintained Mr Patil.
“They need some infrastructure facilities, which we will discuss with them and other officers tomorrow. Their plan is to move from Devanahalli to Electronics City. However, having said that, they need good roads and water. Both can be managed.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dreams of bringing India to the Digital Age, said Mr Patil, will be realised with Karnataka in the forefront. “Bengaluru is the definition of India to most Westerners.
We have gained the monikers IT City and the tech capital, we will live up to it. I work through day and night, coordinating with the KIADB through the Chief Minister because they don’t fall under my portfolio. Bengaluru is home to the second largest technological structure. We should maintain and increase IT activity here. That is my aim.”
Mr K. Jairaj, former Additional Secretary, says that the government must endeavour to retain Infosys. “That is not the only problem,” he said. “The problem is that the government must learn to execute its promises on time. They need some kind of execution discipline.”
It’s not just the IT sector, but the industry as a whole that needs attention, said Sucharita Eashwar, Executive Director, WeConnect International and former Senior Director (Trade Association for the IT industry), NASSCOM.
“Bengaluru is the IT startup capital of the country, so we need to facilitate the ease of doing business. “It's time the government pulled up its socks.”
