Seeking answers for the delay in IT giant Infosys starting its operations from Hubballi despite the campus being ready over three years ago and to highlight the need for the government to come out with separate programme for exploiting the potentials of Hubballi-Dharwad, the Aam Aadmi Party has decided to launch a ‘Hubballi Calling’ campaign.
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Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, Dharwad district president of AAP Santosh Naragund and district executive committee member Vikas Soppin said that while the State government had announced a new IT-BT Policy 2020-25 with focus on developing six cities ‘Beyond Bengaluru’, the emphasis should not be on projecting Hubballi-Dharwad just as another alternative. “Hubballi-Dharwad with over million plus population has its own characteristics and if any city other than Bengaluru has the potential to become a metro, then it is Hubballi. The government should accordingly chalk out an independent programme for the twin cities”, they said.
Mr. Naragund said that AAP had written to Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for IT,BT, Science and Technology, Ashwath Narayan, on the need for developing Hubballi-Dharwad by exploiting its potential fully rather than just as an alternative for Bengaluru.
“We want the State government to consider Hubballi-Dharwad independently and consider it a tier-1 city. Hubballi-Dharwad provides the best IT investment opportunities”, he said.
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Referring to the Infosys campus in Hubballi, which was ready three years ago, Mr. Vikas Soppin sought to know why it had not become functional. “Making the campus functional, will automatically trigger other IT-related activities in the region. However the reasons are not known for the delay. The State government should intervene to find out the reasons and extend necessary help to make it functional”, he said.
Mr. Soppin said AAP would urge the Deputy Chief Minister to visit Hubballi to find out the problems being faced by Infosys campus in starting its operations. “The government should consider the issue seriously and sort it out. Only then will the objectives of ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ programme be fulfilled. Otherwise it will be just end up as another slogan.”
Mr. Soppin and Mr. Naragund said that AAP would launch ‘Hubballi Calling’ campaign in front of the Infosys Campus on November 27 at 11 a.m. to highlight the need for making the Infosys campus functional.