Uttarakhand to build housing colony in IT park

The government-owned State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (SIDCUL) has decided to construct a housing colony at its 67 acres IT Sahastradhara Park here which had hit roadblock during the past 5-6 years.

A total of 14 acres of land has been allocated for the housing colony, a move that has surprised the IT experts because SIDCUL earlier this year had got the IT park de-notified from the SEZ category.

The government had been facing problems in constructing the IT park especially after the 2008 global financial crisis.

According to Chief Minister B C Khanduri, this housing colony is being built for the employees working at the IT park. On the other hand, the SIDCUL has also started fresh allotments at a price of Rs 6250 per sq meter, said a government official exuding confidence that the IT park would finally take shape in one year time.

Since 2006, only 22 industrial units have been allotted land inside the IT park. Out of the 22 units at the IT park, 5 have already been set up and 8 others are under construction.

SIDCUL this year decided to withdraw from a joint venture company with IDEB, a private company, for the construction of IT tower. The SIDCUL had already served notices to IDEB to end the lease deed.

After dillydallying for nearly three to four years, IDEB last year formally decided to back out of its JV with SIDCUL in the wake of the global financial crisis.

After the IDEB’s decision, the SIDCUL appointed IDFC as the consultant of the IT park. The IDFC has already submitted a report detailing a series of recommendations on the IT park.

Under the new plan, SIDCUL would construct an IT tower, an incubation centre, a flatted factory and a finishing school for the training of SC/ST workers.

However, it was not still about the future of the old IT tower building which was under the process of construction when it was abandoned by SIDCUL-IDEB Projects Company Pvt Ltd. An investment of Rs 14-15 crore has already been made in this regard, the sources said.