Addressing the state Assembly on Wednesday, Bellad, who is also Deputy Leader of the Opposition, called it “betrayal at its finest” and demanded the state government take back the land.
According to him, Infosys acquired 58 acres of land in the industrial estate about ten years ago. He further said that the Bengaluru-headquartered IT giant purchased the land which had a market rate of Rs 1.5 crore per acre but paid only Rs 35 lakh per acre to the farmers promising they will set up a campus and provide employment.
However, he claims, the company has not created a single job.
Infosys did not immediately respond to an email seeking comments on the MLA’s statement.
In its annual report released in April 2023, Infosys said, “As part of this strategy, this year, we set up offices in Hubballi, Indore, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur and Coimbatore, in India.”
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Further, posting his video on microblogging website X (formerly Twitter), Bellad said, “@Infosys promised jobs, but all we got were empty #promises and trees. #Infosys #Hubli was granted 58 acres of land which is in my constituency with the aim of fostering employment for the entire North Karnataka region, yet it has failed to deliver on job creation.”
He added, “As a representative, I can’t face the farmers I pacified anymore. It’s time for Infosys to face the consequences and for the government to reclaim the land that’s rightfully ours.”
The comments come when the Karnataka state legislature has commenced its 10-day budget session starting Monday.
During the discussion, the Minister for IT-BT and and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge also pointed out that in cases where land was taken but nothing was done, incentives could be withdrawn in such cases and even withdraw the land in stringent cases.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Industries minister MB Patil assured that he would investigate the issue, stating, “If no progress has been made after land acquisition, we will issue notices and take action.”
Patil is also understood to have ensured jobs for land losers at Taiwanese major Foxconn’s plant in Doddaballapur where 20 million iPhones are likely to be manufactured.
