BANGALORE - India’s IT bellwether Infosys Technologies Ltd and biotechnology major Biocon Ltd pledged to re-build around 6,000 houses at a cost of Rs.60 crore for the flood-affected people of north Karnataka, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said Thursday.
“The IT and biotech industries in the state have come forward to help the state government in re-building houses for the people whose homes collapsed or got washed away in the flood havoc in 12 districts of north Karnataka last week,” Yeddyurappa told reporters here.
Infosys chairman and chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy and Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, whom the chief minister met earlier in the day, have assured the government of their full support in rehabilitating the affected people.
Infosys will re-build about 3,000 houses for Rs.30 crore - at Rs.100,000 per house. Similarly, Biocon will re-build another 3,000 houses for the same cost.
Global software major Wipro Ltd, which is also headquartered in this tech hub, has also assured Yeddyurappa of re-building houses and will inform the state government in a day or two of its commitment.
“Wipro chairman Azim Premji, whom I met earlier in the day, has also pledged to help us in providing shelter to the affected people,” Yeddyurappa said. Similarly, several IT, biotech and companies in other sectors have coming forward to help the government in rehab measures.
Satish Pai and Dayanand Pai of the city-based Century group, which make Kurlon mattresses, have informed the chief minister that they would re-build about 2,000 houses at a cost of Rs.20 crore. Amalgamated Beans Coffee (ABC) trading firm, headed by V.G. Siddhartha, has committed to re-build 1,000 houses at Rs.10 crore.
Siddhartha is the son-in-law of union External Affairs Minister and former Karnataka chief minister S.M. Krishna. According to the Karnataka Disaster Management Authority, a total of 358,755 houses collapsed or got washed away during the recent heavy rains and flash floods.
Meanwhile, the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues raised Rs.120 crore during the second day of fund-raising drive in the city Thursday. This is in addition to Rs.200 crore raised during Wednesday.
“Various organisations and individuals have contributed an additional Rs.104 crore to the chief minister’s relief fund in the form of cash, cheques, demand drafts and relief materials, including food articles. This is in addition to Rs.300 crore of donations and contributions in kind received during the last two days by the chief minister’s relief fund.”
Related News
Karnataka CM says all flood hit villages to be relocatedOctober 12th, 2009 BANGALORE - Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has said that all villages that were marooned in the recent floods in Karnataka would be relocated to safer places. Talking to reporters here on Sunday, Yediyurappa said: "We are going to acquire about 5,000 acres of land for relocating the villages.
Infosys co-founders chip in to shelter flood-hit victimsOctober 9th, 2009 BANGALORE - Four co-founders of IT bellwether Infosys Technologies collectively contributed Rs.10 crore to rebuild houses for the victims of flood havoc in north Karnataka recently, a top official said. "The company has pledged Rs.20 crore while four co-founders have volunteered to contribute Rs.2.5 crore each to the effort to build 3,000 pucca (permanent) houses for the flood-affected people," Infosys chief executive S.
No discrimination against Karnataka, says PMOctober 9th, 2009 HYDERABAD - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Friday he would never discriminate against any state including Karnataka while providing help to battle natural calamities. When it comes to human tragedy of such nature, as long as I am the prime minister, we will not discriminate between one state and another depending on the political complexion of the government," he said while speaking about flood relief measures.
Flood abates, people return to their homes in Karnataka villageOctober 8th, 2009 GAURUR VILLAGE - Flood-hit people have started returning to their homes in Gaurur village, which falls in Karnataka's Gulbarga district. Villagers came back only to see their washed away homes.
Karnataka banks on people's generosity to rebuild flood-hitOctober 6th, 2009 BANGALORE - The Karnataka government is appealing to people, NGOs, religious and educational institutions and corporates to donate liberally to help it rehabilitate the flood-ravaged in the state's northern districts. Chief minister B.S.
Will give all help to deal with floods: CongressOctober 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Congress party Monday said that all possible steps are being taken to deal with the flood situation in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Every possible effort is being undertaken at the centre and the state level to deal with the flood situation, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singvi told reporters here.
Krishna to meet PM Wednesday on more aid to flood-hit KarnatakaOctober 5th, 2009 BANGALORE - External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said Monday he would prevail upon Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi to grant more relief to flood-hit Karnataka from the National Calamity Contingency Fund.
Armed forces rescue hundreds in flood-hit statesOctober 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Undertaking one of the biggest relief and rescue operations in the flood-ravaged states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the armed forces have rescued hundreds of marooned people so far. "1,336 people have been rescued so far by the armed forces in the flood-ravaged states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Rescue efforts on as flood toll in Karnataka rises to over 130October 3rd, 2009 BANGALORE - Rescue and rehabilitation efforts for the flood-hit in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have acquired an urgency after the death toll from incessant rains crossed to over 130. The Army, Navy and Air Force have been called out for rescue and relief operations.
Sonia gets a chance to 'bunk political classes'!September 15th, 2009 MYSORE - Overwhelmed by the sprawling, state-of-the-art campus of IT bellwether Infosys, Congress president Sonia Gandhi Tuesday repeatedly said it gave her an opportunity to "bunk political classes" for a little while. Gandhi visited the Infosys Technologies Ltd campus here to inaugurate the Global Education Centre (GEC-II), the latest infrastructural addition to the IT giant meant for training its new recruits.
Infosys opens corporate education centre in MysoreSeptember 15th, 2009 MYSORE - United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi Tuesday inaugurated a world-class corporate education centre of Infosys Technologies at its Mysore campus. The facility is an extension of the IT major's Global Education Centre (GEC), which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in February 2005.
Biocon inks partnership with ISB to launch Biocon Cell for Innovation ManagementJune 8th, 2009 BANGALORE - Biocon Limited have launched the Biocon Cell for Innovation Management (BCIM) to promote innovation in business. The Cell will be established under the aegis of the Centre for Leadership, Innovation, and Change (CLIC) at the ISB.
Biocon to fund innovation cell at Hyderabad B-schoolJune 8th, 2009 BANGALORE - India's biotechnology major Biocon Ltd. Monday announced the setting up of a cell for innovation management at Hyderabad's Indian School of Business (ISB) with a corpus of Rs.1 crore.
Five Infosys employees killed in Belgaum bus accidentMay 21st, 2009 BANGALORE - Five employees of the Infosys were killed and eight others injured when their bus overturned in Belgaum District of Karnataka on Tuesday. The incident occurred when the driver of the bus in which they were travelling lost control while negotiating a sharp curve.
Five Infosys employees die in Karnataka road accidentMay 21st, 2009 BANGALORE - Five employees of Infosys Technologies were killed in a road accident in Karnataka's Belgaum district Thursday, police said. The incident took place after the driver lost control over the KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) Airavatha bus carrying 43 Infosys employees at Hukkeri Taluka in Belgaum, northern Karnataka, 480 km from here.
Loading ...