Infosys to get freehold land for its first venture in Bengal

The West Bengal government on Friday approved the entry of IT major Infosys in the state, allowing the company to get land on freehold basis for its maiden IT development centre.

The IT firm, in 2010, had purchased 50 acres from the then Left Front government at Rajarhat for the project.

"Earlier we had decided to allow 75 per cent of the 50-acre land for IT and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS). Now today (Friday) in the Cabinet we have decided to bring it down to 51 percent for IT and ITeS," state Minister Partha Chatterjee said after the cabinet meeting.

He said earlier the land was given IT major on lease for 99 years on a renewal basis.

"They had written us requesting that 51 per cent will be used for IT and ITeS besides, asking for freehold instead of leasehold which we have decided to allow," he said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that the company would start the Kolkata centre with an investment of Rs 100 crore and an employment potential of 1,000.

Infosys, which was given 50 acres of land at Rajarhat by the former Left Front government , was going slow on the project as the new dispensation under the Trinamool-led by Banerjee was reluctant to grant the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status as promised to them earlier.

Following Banerjee's announcement, the IT giant had said it had agreed to start construction of its development centre in Kolkata, which would have a capacity to seat around 1,000 people.

--IANS

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