The Hindu Business Line : IT cos in Pune to be exempt from power cuts

Pune, April 2 IT companies in Pune can heave a sigh of relief as they will not be falling under the purview of power cuts in the city. The IT companies in Hinjewadi which comprises the maximum number would be given exemption from power cuts, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, said here on Wednesday. He was in the city for the commencement of the construction of the 20,000-seater facility of Tata Consultancy Services in Hinjewadi.

No separate package

Talking to presspersons, he however said that Pune would not be given any separate package for the power cuts. It may be noted that Pune had not experienced power shortage for the past couple of years when the Confederation of Indian Industry (Western Region) came up with a solution for supplying captive power to the grid. The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), a couple of days ago, had however, made it clear that if the CII, which had initiated the Pune model involving use of captive power to prevent load shedding in Pune from June 2006 and the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd could find an interim or permanent franchisee and additional power required in the next 48 hours, load shedding could be prevented.

Pune would experience power cuts from April 5.Giving other details, Mr Deshmukh said about 1,185 acres of land has already been acquired by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation in the fourth stage of Hinjewadi.

However, the local people in the village of Mann in whose purview it falls are expected to protest against this.

According to the villagers, the price that is being doled out by the Government was not sufficient as they were receiving about Rs 9,50,000 per acre as compensation. A letter would be given to the Chief Minister, they said.

Mr Deshmukh said that there were about 288 IT parks in the State, of which only about 46 were operational.

He added that 249 large projects were coming into the State, which would be bringing in investment to the tune of Rs 2,275 crore and employ about 1,30,000 personnel.

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