Fearing a Nandigram-like controversy, the West Bengal government has taken an in-principle decision not to provide IT majors Wipro and Infosys land in an upcoming project.
Fearing a Nandigram-like controversy, the West Bengal government has taken an in-principle decision not to provide IT majors Wipro and Infosys land in an upcoming project in Rajarhat near Kolkata.
The land — 90 acres each — was to be allotted in a proposed 1,200-acre IT township.
According an agreement between the government and developers Vedic Realty and Diamond Group, around 600 acres in the township were earmarked for IT companies.
But after irregularities were found in the allocation of land, the government backtracked.
Trouble began when a local land mafia, Gaffar, and his associates were arrested a fortnight back for disrupting a football match. A raid on their hideout resulted in the arrest of many of Gaffar’s associates and seizure of a huge consignment of arms from Vedic Village, a resort.
The arrests opened the Pandora’s box. The police unearthed massive anomalies in land allocation to Vedic Village. The state land reforms and housing departments were charged with illegally allotting land to the owners of Vedic Village at throwaway prices.
Local Trinamool legislator Arabul Islam was accused of backing Gaffar, who allegedly forced farmers to let go of their lands. The CPI(M) and Trinamool, however, denied involvement in the scam. Land reforms minister Abdul Rezzak Mollah and housing minister Gautam Deb denied involvement in the scam. Trinamool chief and railways minister Mamata Banerjee denied involvement of her MLAs in the land controversy.
In the middle of the crisis, the government decided to withdraw from allotting land to Wipro and Infosys sensing further controversy. Sources said IT minister Debesh Das will personally intimate the two IT companies about the government’s decision.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}