PUNE: Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's visit to Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park at Hinjewadi on Tuesday once again highlighted a series of infrastructure problems faced by the IT hub envisioned to attract investments.
Notwithstanding Chavan's assurance to rope in international consultants to develop infrastructure, IT experts say the government should have initiated this step earlier, as the locality is suffering due to lack of basic infrastructure such as bigger roads, cleanliness, scientific and speedy disposal of garbage and overall security.
The Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park is one of the leading IT product and service offering hub which is spread over 649.82 hectares generating annual export slightly more than Rs 2,000 crore. The revenue growth of the IT park is also continuously escalating making its position stronger in the country's IT map. It is one of the biggest employment and revenue generating location in the country and has attracted talent from almost all parts of the country to Pune city.
Despite these shining facts, the dark side of the park has become more and more prominent in recent times.
Compared to the fast track development of the IT Park, the infrastructure development is at a snail's pace.
According to IT professionals, two years ago, the condition of the road leading to IT park deteriorated to such an extent that they lodged an online petition against the negligence. It prompted the local member of parliament, Supriya Sule, to immediately conduct meetings with the Hinjewadi Industries Association along with Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and Pune Municipal Corporation - the major stake holders -- and getting them to provide infrastructure to the IT park
A senior HIA official, who declined to be named, said, "The IT companies are paying taxes to the local government, buying houses in the city and consuming various services and products, still people from other sectors treat us as if we are a nuisance and
aliens because most of us work for foreign companies. It is a prejudice cultivated by various stake holders and we want it to be ended at the earliest.
Demanding better infrastructure, smooth supply of water and electricity, clean roads, and security is not a crime."
The HIA has donated plastic barricades to police officials for effective traffic management and for a long time it was used effectively. There should not be any skepticism about the IT park and its employees, said the official.
Amol Thorat, an employee working with an IT company, said, "I commute to IT park daily from Chandani chowk and face the bottleneck near Shivaji chowk. In the last two years, no authority thought of a solution to it. I really wonder why should I pay tax if I am not getting basic infrastructure."EoM/PART IPART IIMIDC promises speedy developmentNikhil Deshmukh Pune: MIDC officials are buoyed with CM Prithviraj Chavan's visit to the Rajiv Gandhi IT Park as it will help them clear the pending projects.
No comments:
Post a Comment