Punjab?s plans of inviting investments from IT giants like TCS, Infosys in the state by offering them land in its upcoming ambitious IT park at Rajpura in Patiala district may turn sour.
Seeking higher compensation, farmers in the area are putting up stiff opposition to the acquisition of 1,360 acre for the project.
The peasants cultivating land at the proposed site of IT project want higher compensation for the land to be acquired or else to shift the project to some other place.
?We have told the state (Punjab) government to either pay us higher price for the land…and if it cannot give us the desired rate then it should move the IT project to other place,? Gurcharan Singh, president, Action Committee, representing aggrieved farmers said.
Agitating farmers have even lodged their protest with Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal in this regard seeking scrapping of the IT project as an option.
State owned Punjab Infotech, which is engaged in promotion of IT project in the state, has offered Rs 11 lakh per acre for the acquisition of land while protesting farmers have been seeking Rs 50 lakh per acre for the project.
The state government has even ordered for land acquisition after Punjab Infotech paid Rs 160 crore for the acquiring 1,360 acres for Punjab IT park. Punjab Infotech has made it clear that the project would not be viable if it was to enhance the farmers? compensation.
?It will definitely affect the viability of the project if the compensation is enhanced as it will further cause increase in cost for prospective investor in setting up shop here,? a senior official of Punjab Infotech confided.
Because of high land prices in Punjab, several private players are shying away from investing in the state, according to a study conducted by UNIDO.
Describing demand of farmers as illegitimate, Punjab Infotech chairman HS Grewal claimed the protesting farmers were not even owner of the land in question.
?Land belongs to Panchayats and they (farmers) just cultivate it,? he said while asserting that the IT project would certainly come up.
The state government has presented this?Punjab?s first and prestigious self-contained integrated IT and Knowledge City park?as the most attractive IT investment destination. Punjab government has been inviting several big players in IT sector including TCS, Infosys and Wipro for setting up their projects here.
?This project, which is near to Chandigarh city, will be quite suitable for renowned IT players as the IT park can accommodate their large land requirements,? a senior official of Punjab Infotech said.
He said Infosys has sought at least 100 acre from the state government for its project and that this could be set up in this park. The proposed park would house companies like business process outsourcing, knowledge process outsourcing, software testing companies, graphic, animation etc.
It will also have residential and social infrastructure facilities like healthcare, recreation etc.
Consultant Ernst & Young and Halcrow have been engaged by Punjab Infotech with regard to preparation of strategic and master planning for the proposed IT park.