All help for facility but no SEZ, Bengal tells Infosys

The West Bengal government Friday assured IT major Infosys of all support to establish its first facility in the state but reiterated its stand of not allowing special economic zones (SEZ).

“We will try to provide the benefits they would require to set up the facility. I have asked them to come and discuss the issues across the table. A decision will only be taken after that,” state Commerce and Industries minister Partha Chatterjee said here on the sidelines of a programme.

“Principally we have a stand on SEZ which they are aware of. They also know about our movement against the idea. Except for the special zone, we are willing to extend other facilities to them,” he said at the inauguration of Realty Expo 2012.

Chatterjee said he had a long telephonic conversation with the Infosys bosses Friday morning and assured them all possible sops for the facility. He, however, refused to divulge details about the sops promised.

“We can arrange a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee if they want,” Chatterjee added.

Infosys purchased 50 acres of land for the project in Rajarhat, in the northeastern fringes of the city, for Rs 1.5 crore per acre for the project. The company also made the payment in full in October last year.

Recently, it had written a letter to Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) seeking clarification on its SEZ status in the state.

The minister also said another IT major Wipro is perhaps waiting for the state government’s stand towards Infosys.

“Although they haven’t yet paid the entire amount for the land, we have assured them that the government is willing to help them start construction at the earliest,” Chatterjee said.

Wipro has bought 50 acres plot for its second facility at Rs 75 crore from HIDCO in Rajarhat Action Area III, in the northeastern fringes of the city.

So far, there are four IT SEZs in the state – Wipro, Unitech, DLF and Bantala IT SEZ.