Jagdishpur mouza IT project bites the dust

The information technology (IT) project to be developed in Jagdishpur mouza on the north-eastern fringes of Kolkata, much like many others in the state, is in limbo.

“The project was supposed to be developed by the Rahul Saraf controlled Forum Projects. They won the tender in a bidding process. The group, however, has quit the project. Instead of re-tendering and inviting fresh bids, the government has decided to do the development work on the IT park itself,” said an official close to the development.

When first announced in 2007, the Bengal government had outlined the plans. The site was chosen because of its proximity to the city, along with the fact that land prices in Jagdishpur would range between Rs 50-60 lakh per acre as opposed to the skyrocketing Rs 2.16 crore in Rajarhat-the then planned showpiece IT park that was to house the a Infosys campus in the city along with a second Wipro one.

“In the first phase of the project, 100 acre was slated to be acquired out of the total spread-over of 330 acre. We are still in talks over the intricacies of the project and no details have been finalised yet,” said the official.

Considering that the project had been announced in 2007, its present status does not seem to inspire much hope about its future.

The project had been conceived as a backup to Rajarhat for Infosys. The Rajarhat project has since been shelved, and Infosys is yet to come up with a definite proposal. What this holds out for the Jagdishpur project is to be seen.