School for scandal
How did you fight Infosys
In the mid-1990s, Infosys applied to the state government to acquire 48 hectares near Sarjapur road to construct its second-largest campus. But the real estate mafia was powerful there and didn't allow the government to acquire land. These 48 ha then got pushed to two more locations before finally being thrust upon the Bellandur wetlands. Without holding any consultations with local people, the state-level high-powered committee cleared the site. We approached Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board, but to no avail. While the dealings were on, I got a chance to address the World Economic Forum at New Delhi in 2002. There I spoke against kiadb , Infosys and the land acquisition process being followed by the government. There was media bashing after which Infosys decided to withdraw from the site.
Are you against information technology development?
We are not against it but at least farmers should not be exploited. The price of land in the Bellandur area is about Rs 1.5 crore per acre, but kiadb offers mere Rs 6.5 lakh. In sharp contrast, the private builders charge Rs 3,000 per sq ft while selling the same land. Farmers have sold off their land and have nothing to do. They have spent the compensation amount in marrying their daughters or buying a new house. Politicians have bought land in and around Bellandur, which is also being offered as bribes. Bellandur is more than a Rs 1,000-crore scandal that has happened with the connivance of politicians, bureaucrats and the it industry.