Friday, September 9 2005 14:51 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dayanidhi Maran was today (Sept 9, 2005) quoted as saying by the Minister of State for Planning M V Rajasekaran that Bangalore's infrastructural woes are hurting the famed IT industry.

Speaking at the Annual Convention Programme of Bangalore Management Association here, Rajasekaran said when he met Maran in Delhi earlier this month, he told him that he was 'very much concerned' by the infrastructural problems faced by the city.

"He (Maran) said Bangalore, jewel of India, is losing its shining. Most of the IT companies are thinking of shifting to Chennai", he quoted Maran as saying.

Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, is also 'very much concerned', Rajasekaran said.

Rajasekaran, a resident of Bangalore for long, said he met Chief Minister N Dharam Singh and other senior officials earlier today to convey the 'concern'.

Roads are in a bad shape in Bangalore, where traffic snarls and congestion are order of the day, especially in peak hours. A short spell of rains is enough to throw road traffic out of gear.

Several IT companies recently announced that they would boycott the Bangalore IT. In slated for next month, the annual IT event hosted by Karnataka Government, to protest Government 'indifference' in this regard.