Tamil Nadu's ambitious programme to promote IT-SEZs hits roadblock

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Government's ambitious programme to promote Information Technology SEZs in tier-II cities has hit a roadblock as infrastrucutre bottlenecks have forced several firms to reschedule their plans and some others to pull out.

IT majors like HCL Technologies, Satyam Ltd and Sutherland Global services, who were alloted land at two SEZs near Madurai and near Tiruchirapalli have cried off and asked for return of the lease amount, citing infrastructure and transport bottelnecks.

The two IT-SEZs at Madurai are among the eight set up by the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu, the nodal agency, near major cities at a cost of over Rs 200 crore in the state to promote investments in Tier II cities.

The others are in Sholinganallur near Chennai, Vilankurichi (near Coimbatore), Vadapalanji-Kinnimangalam (in Madurai), Navalpattu (in Tiruchirapalli), Gangaikondan (in Tirunelveli), Jagir-Ammapalayam (Salem) and Viswanathapuram (in Hosur).

The IT policy note tabled in the Assembly this year said HCL Technologies has asked ELCOT for refund.

It said the company, along with Satyam Ltd, Syntel Ltd and Sutherland Global Services had been allotted 140 acres at Vadapalanji but have asked ELCOT to refund the lease amount saying they were not interested in starting units in the SEZ.