Global companies such as Infosys and Foxconn have come under fire in Karnataka for not giving jobs to locals, especially the farmers who gave away their land to set up these companies.
During a debate in the Karnataka assembly on Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad lashed out at IT giant Infosys for not creating a single job in his constituency, Hubbali-Dharwad West, and demanded that the land be withdrawn.
“In my constituency, there is an industrial estate, Infosys has taken land. They have taken 58 acres, but have not given a single job. They have just planted trees and made gardens. Take back the land from them. They talk about ethics, but they have not created jobs,” said Bellad.
Bellad argued that the government gave land to Infosys at Rs 35 lakh/ acre when the market price was Rs 1.5 crore. He said that he had requested the farmers to part with the land, saying a big company like Infosys would create hundreds of jobs.
Infosys developed the campus with a built-up area of 3.64 lakh sqft in 2018 and has a capacity to house 1,400 employees. The company, however, announced recruitments for a few positions at the centre only in August 2022.
Adding to the chorus, Dheeraj Muniraju, BJP MLA from Doddaballapur constituency on the outskirts of Bengaluru, hit out at Apple iPhone maker Foxconn and Jubliant Food Works for not providing jobs for locals and farmers who lost their land because of the project.
“You have given land to Foxconn, they haven’t given jobs to any farmer who lost his land. Even Jubilant FoodWorks… They have not hired a single local person. Foxconn has started hiring and they are sending the recruits to Chennai for training,” the MLA complained.
WILL CONSIDER WITHDRAWING INCENTIVE OR LAND: MB PATIL
Industries and Commerce Minister MB Patil assured the house that the government would act against companies not providing jobs to locals who lost their land, especially after getting an incentive. “They would have gotten the land at a subsidised rate, which is an incentive. I don’t want to specifically talk about anyone, but be it Infosys or others, if they have taken the incentive and not given jobs to land owners according to their educational qualification, we might consider withdrawing the incentive or withdraw the land. We will discuss what can be done specifically under the law,” he said.
The minister also clarified that 300 acres was given at a subsidised price to Foxconn. The leading iPhone manufacturer was to create 50,000 jobs and manufacture 20 million iPhones. He said the government will ensure that they give jobs to farmers who lost their land.
Earlier in the day, the government moved quickly to provide legal backing to its ‘60% Kannada in signboard’ diktat. The government placed the amendment to make at least 60% use of Kannada mandatory in signboards at all commercial outlets, trusts, places of entertainment, and even in the road/layout boards. Moreover, products manufactured in the state need to have information in Kannada.
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