Date:17/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/17/stories/2008061750540100.htm

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Tiruchi IT park booked by BPOs

Staff Reporter

ELCOT plan to construct 50,000 square feet of built-up space in the first phase

Sutherland Global Services and Cognizant expected to start operations
IT park has already been accorded Special Economic Zone status

TIRUCHI: The entire 147 acres of the Tiruchi IT park at Navalpattu have been booked by business process outsourcing and IT companies.

Two front-ranking companies expected to start their operations here are Sutherland Global Services and Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS). The rest are smaller companies.

Land handover

Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT) is already into the process of handing over land for Sutherland and has earmarked land for CTS.

The ELCOT would begin with providing land to ‘anchor companies’ in order to ensure that the allotted land is utilised strictly for the purpose. The ELCOT Board has empowered Managing Director C. Umashankar to execute the process.

Having readied a plan to construct 50,000 square feet of builtup space by itself in the first phase, the ELCOT envisages subsequent construction of two million square feet of builtup space in a 50-acre area in the IT park under a joint venture with a private entity.

The IT park has already been accorded the status of a Special Economic Zone, said Mr. Umashankar.

Internal roads

The ELCOT Board has also approved the proposal for construction of internal roads at a cost of Rs. 25 crore.

Compound wall

An estimate for construction of a compound wall for the IT park has also been made, said Mr. Umashankar adding that the ELCOT eagerly looks forward to takeover by the Highways department of the 100-feet link road for creation of an expressway from the IT park to the Tiruchi-Pudukkottai Highway.

Maintenance of the over six kilometre road that was laid by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board is undertaken by the panchayats of Navalpattu and Gundur.