Wednesday, September 19, 2007

"Fuel deal" delays Infosys campus in Thiruvananthapuram

The state-of- the-art campus of the Indian IT major Infosys near Technopark here has hit another road block as the Technopark authorities have failed to relocate a petrol pump that function in the land allocated to the Infosys.

According to sources, the Technopark authorities had at first tried to acquire the land in which the pump functions. However the idea to take over the 16 odd cents of land by giving compensation to the pump owner did not materialise as the pump owner was unwilling to accept the proposal.

When the Technopark authorities had acquired all other pieces of land for the proposed facility centre of the Infosys, the petrol pump owner took issue to the court, demanding a fair deal. After months of arguments and counter arguments, the court directed the Technopark authorities to provide another piece of compensatory land in the nearby area to the pump owner.

Moreover, the government should set up the infrastructure facilities required for the pump and hand over the same to the pump owner.

At this point of time the Bharat Petroleum authorities and the pump owner insisted that the work on the infrastructure facility should be entrusted with one of the Bharat Petroleum Corporation- empanelled contractors.

The park authorities who were in a haste to get rid of the imbroglio, accepted their proposal. A contractor suggested by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation was given work to the tune of Rs 60 lakh. However, the contractor stopped the work in the midway citing shortage of funds.

Earlier, the pump owner and the BPC was not happy with the shape of the land allotted to them. Following the complaints, the Cabinet approved the change.

The contractor has now asked for a meeting with the authorities as he needed more funds to complete the work. According to sources, the Infosys authorities are not happy with the delay in relocating the petrol pump from the land earmarked for them.

1 comment:

b s anilkumar said...

t is too bad that u not only have stolen the story i have written in The New Indian Express, but also preferred to attribute credit to none.

gud show