Ambanis in contention for knowledge city project

Bangalore, Feb 22 (UNI) The Ambani brothers are in the race along with top notch global developers for the Rs 50,000 crore knowledge city project of Karnataka, proposed to come up at Bididi on the outskirts of the city.

Karnataka IT and BT Secretary M N Vidyashankar told members of the Bangalore Chambers of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) that among the 24 developers shortlisted for the 10,000 acre project, which aimed at providing employment to 7,50,000 IT professionals, were seven big players from Dubai, three from Singapore and two each from Malaysia and Holland.

In all, 25,000 acres of built up area would spring up in phases in the knowledge city that would cater to the IT growth requirement of the city over several years at the current growth rate of over 30 per cent. Companies of Mukesh Ambani and Anil Ambani were the only Indian firms to bid for the project, which had stringent terms and conditions in the tender, he said.

Mr Vidyashankar said the land acquisition process for the project should commence in April. The entire project would be offered to a bidder, who besides the workspace would also have to develop residential areas, schools and colleges, hospitals and other necessry infrastructure. To be built on a public private partnership basis, the Government would not be spending any money on the project. In the first phase, 2,500 acres would be developed.

Among the bid criteria, rehabilitation would receive the highest priority. Farmers, who forego their land, would be given a flat and various other packages evolved by the bidders, he added.

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