In a damage control move a day after several IT firms threatened to pull out of this year's Bangalore IT Com, the State Government today (Oct 9, 2004) promised steps for "better and unclogged" roads by this month end, seeking to convince the IT majors to take part in Karnataka's flagship event beginning on Nov 1, 2004.

"We will convince them to take part in the event. Chief Minister Dharam Singh will hold discussions with the IT industry including the aggrieved IT firms soon after the Oct 13 Bidar by-elections," Karnataka IT Secretary K N Shankaralinge Gowda told in Bangalore.

Asserting that there would not be "any impact" on the event due to the threat by some IT companies, he said, the civic agencies had begun work on a fast pace to complete road repairs. Besides the IT department was in consultations with the police to "defer" movement of trucks during peak hours in the morning and evening to facilitate commuter traffic.

Bangalore Forum of IT Companies (BFIT), an informal conglomeration of R&D and technology firms which include Texas Instruments, Synopsis, vMoksha Technologies and Philips Software, decided yesterday (Oct 8, 2004) to back out of Bangalore IT Com, to protest against what they called "apathy" of the State in addressing concerns over infrastructure.

India's silicon valley has over 1,300 software firms and attracts three multinational firms every two weeks to set up their base and to harness the skilled talent.

"You can see work (repairing roads) actually happening now. By this month end, we will address the traffic and road problems," Gowda said.