BJP Leader Blames IT Companies For Bengaluru Floods, Warns Against Threatening The Government

As flood waters recede in Bengaluru, the unprecedented natural calamity has taken a political turn, with parties accusing each other of who is responsible.

But one politician went a step further and blamed IT companies for the floods in Bengaluru.

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Bengaluru South district BJP president NR Ramesh claimed that IT and BT companies encroached on the city¡¯s lakes and Rajakaluves, resulting in floods.

IT/BT companies encroached lakes

Ramesh was responding to IT industry veteran and to former Infosys director TV Mohandas Pai over his 'Save Bengaluru' campaign.

¡°I would like to bring to your attention the fact that you have deliberately forgotten the fact that the IT, biotechnology companies and tech parks which you represent are responsible for the current rain water crisis in Bengaluru city,¡± he told Pai in an open letter.

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Naming companies including Infosys, Wipro, Biocon, and others, Ramesh said that they had built their buildings on rajakaluves (stormwater drains) and their buffer zones.

"79 tech parks which come under Outer Ring Road Companies Association, more than 250 IT and BT companies under Electronic City Industries Association, more than 100 tech companies in Mahadevapura have encroached storm water drains at the time of construction," he said.

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Save Bengaluru from IT companies?

The BJP leader further suggested that the real "Save Bengaluru" campaign must be against the owners of Electronics City Industries Association (ELCIA), Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA) and Information Technology Park Limited (ITPL).

Amid concerns of the IT companies looking for options other than Bengaluru, Ramesh warned them against blackmailing the government.

"The IT companies are threatening the state government that they will have to shift to Telangana. The state of Telangana is known as Naxal-prone state. The companies and employees will not be able to survive for a day," he said.

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Industry seeks answers from government

Last week, the Outer Ring Road Companies Associations (ORRCA), an industry body that represents all major IT and banking companies on the Outer Ring Road stretch in Bengaluru claimed that the recent floods in the city have resulted in a loss of Rs 225 crore to various firms there.

If the infrastructure issues in Bengaluru are not addressed, the companies may seek alternate destinations, it had warned.

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This was days before the IT hub flooded again on Saturday night.

On Wednesday, Karnataka IT Minister CN Ashwath Narayan met industry representatives and assured them that the flooding issue would be solved by the next monsoon.

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