Wednesday, October 26 2005 18:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bangalore: At the opening of Bangalore IT.in, a mega trade-show, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda fired another salvo against a section of the IT sector for its 'whispering campaign' to destabilise the coalition Government and sought to give a push for jobs in companies for those displaced following land acquisition by the industries.

Gowda used the platform to send a loud and clear message that he is not anti-IT but wants accountability by companies in land acquisition and utilisation matters, and urged Chief Minister N Dharam Singh to put conditions before allotting land to industries that they gave job opportunities to the displaced.

"Those who are thrown out of their lands should be given job opportunities; they can't be allowed to suffer and go begging for food," Gowda said.

Without naming Infosys Technologies Limited that he targeted openly recently, the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) supremo attacked a section of the IT industry for starting a whispering campaign within two-three months of the coalition Government coming to power that IT is leaving Bangalore because of infrastructural woes.

Gowda stressed that he is not anti-IT and he would not allow the sector to suffer. But he is only seeking accountability on land allotment and utilisation matters, as well as jobs for those displaced by land acquisition.

"I am not going to minimise the contribution of the IT industry. I am not jealous about your earnings. I am not bothered (about that)," he said.

JDS had yesterday announced Gowda would not make it to the event and would instead visit rain-affected areas in Bangalore but revised its plans later.

Gowda criticised a section of the IT industry for creating a 'negative impression' that the coalition Government is not giving so much importance and priority for solving infrastructural problems.

He noted that it was when he was at the helm of affairs that IT industry was given a ten-year tax holiday and the International Tech Park, an IT showpiece of Bangalore, came into being.

The former Prime Minister also spoke about the positive aspects of IT's growth, like creating wealth in the country, and said he wants to 'salute' the contribution of IT companies of Bangalore.

He exhorted IT companies to start operations in other cities of the State, saying Bangalore has grown enough. "We want to decongest Bangalore."

Gowda flayed those who are not well disposed towards the coalition Government, for starting a whispering campaign that IT sector is moving out of Bangalore, but asserted that they will not succeed in destabilising the Government.