'Infosys gave us trees instead of jobs': BJP MLA wants IT firm to return 'subsidised' land

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad wants the Karnataka government to take back 58 acres of land allotted to IT major Infosys in Hubballi for not creating a single job.

Bellad, who represents Hubballi-Dharwad (West), said, "Infosys took 58 acres in an industrial estate in my constituency but has not created a single job, only engaging in gardening and landscaping."

He added the the IT major got the land at a discounted rate of Rs 35 lakh per acre, comparing its actual value of Rs 1.5 crore. 

Betrayal at its finest, Bellad posted on X. "The land in my constituency was given with the aim of fostering employment for the entire North Karnataka region, yet it has failed to deliver on job creation. 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," Bellad wrote, saying all his constituency got was "empty promises and trees".

Infosys' Hubballi campus, which has a capacity to house 1,500 techies, got the state's approval in 2013. 

The campus was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 350 crore. "If land was taken, but nothing was done, then we will issue notice and take action," Industries Minister MB Patil said without naming the IT firm. 

Bellad asked for penal action to which Patil and state IT minister Priyank Kharge said incentives will be withdrawn. "We can even consider a policy (for penalties)," Patil said.