New Delhi: Leading software company Infosys was on November 25 accused at the World
Economic Summit in New Delhi by a panchayat leader from Karnataka of taking away
wetlands of small farmers, but the company denied the charge and asked him to
substantiate it or retract the allegation.
K Jagannath, chairman of the Bellandur Grama Panchayat from Bangalore, a guest
speaker at a session on young leaders, alleged that multi-crore land grabbing was
taking place and "Infosys being a multinational reputed company has come forward to
take away the wetlands which have a natural flow from Bellandur Lake".
"Thousands of farming families are dependant on cultivation on these lands for their
livelihood," he said, adding that another IT company Wipro was taking only the dry
lands.
Reacting sharply to this comment, Infosys Chief Narayana Murthy, sitting among the
audience, asked the speaker to either substantiate the statement with data or take
the
statement back in front of the audience.
"We have asked the state government to give 100 acres of land, the largest investment
in the state. Don't ascribe motives where there are none. Please give the data to
substantiate the statement or take it back," he said.
Though Jagannath said he could give papers to prove his statement tomorrow, Minister
of State for Commerce Rajiv Pratap Ruddy, who was also present on the occasion,
intervened and placated both parties by saying that "this instance shows the absence
of communication in our country. This is what we have to strive to correct".
Speaking to reporters after the session, Murthy said it had been 18 months since the
company had sought land from the state government but no response had been received
so far.
However, Jagannath alleged that 110 acres of wetland had been given to Infosys while
another 450 acres of land had been allotted by the state government to a Delhi-based
individual.
PTI
