Infy, Biocon to build houses for flood-hit in K'taka

BANGALORE, INDIA: India's IT bellwether Infosys Technologies Ltd and biotechnology major Biocon Ltd pledged to re-build around 6,000 houses at a cost of Rs.60 crore for the flood-affected people of north Karnataka, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa said Thursday.

"The IT and biotech industries in the state have come forward to help the state government in re-building houses for the people whose homes collapsed or got washed away in the flood havoc in 12 districts of north Karnataka last week," Yeddyurappa told reporters here.

Infosys chairman and chief mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy and Biocon chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, whom the chief minister met earlier in the day, have assured the government of their full support in rehabilitating the affected people.

Infosys will re-build about 3,000 houses for Rs.30 crore - at Rs.100,000 per house. Similarly, Biocon will re-build another 3,000 houses for the same cost.

Global software major Wipro Ltd, which is also headquartered in this tech hub, has also assured Yeddyurappa of re-building houses and will inform the state government in a day or two of its commitment.

"Wipro chairman Azim Premji, whom I met earlier in the day, has also pledged to help us in providing shelter to the affected people," Yeddyurappa said. Similarly, several IT, biotech and companies in other sectors have coming forward to help the government in rehab measures.

Satish Pai and Dayanand Pai of the city-based Century group, which make Kurlon mattresses, have informed the chief minister that they would re-build about 2,000 houses at a cost of Rs.20 crore. Amalgamated Beans Coffee (ABC) trading firm, headed by V.G. Siddhartha, has committed to re-build 1,000 houses at Rs.10 crore.

Siddhartha is the son-in-law of union External Affairs Minister and former Karnataka chief minister S.M. Krishna. According to the Karnataka Disaster Management Authority, a total of 358,755 houses collapsed or got washed away during the recent heavy rains and flash floods.

Meanwhile, the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues raised Rs.120 crore during the second day of fund-raising drive in the city Thursday. This is in addition to Rs.200 crore raised during Wednesday.

"Various organizations and individuals have contributed an additional Rs.104 crore to the chief minister's relief fund in the form of cash, cheques, demand drafts and relief materials, including food articles. This is in addition to Rs.300 crore of donations and contributions in kind received during the last two days by the chief minister's relief fund."

©IANS