Hyderabad News. IT firms in state to get essential service status. Can such actions stop flight of investments from Hyderabad to Bangalore?
Hyderabad News. TOI 07.03.10
(Excl Ventures News) The states IT and ITeS sector is all set to be accorded the status of an essential service,with the state government mulling bringing the sector under the Andhra Pradesh Essential Services Maintenance Act,chief minister K Rosaiah said on Saturday.
Addressing industry captains at an interaction,Rosaiah said: We have taken up the issue seriously.We have moved the file to the law department as we need a legislation for IT to be treated as an essential service.It should be finalized shortly.
Presently,the IT industry comes under the Shops and Establishments Act.Once declared an essential service,IT/ITeS firms will be able to function without disruptions even during times of curfews,bandhs and other emergencies.The biggest implication of this will be for employees of IT/ITeS firms,who will no longer be able to stay away from work citing any of these reasons.
Citing the necessity of catering to global clients 24x7 for 365 days a year,the IT industry is understood to have mooted this move after repeated bandhs and violence recently due to the Telangana agitation disrupting operations of several IT/ITeS firms in the state.
Rosaiah also told AP Inc that the state government was giving finishing touches to the new industrial policy and new IT policy that were set to expire in March and April this year,respectively,even as moves were afoot to lower stamp duty and registration charges on property registration to around 5%.
Comment :
Just a kneejerk reaction? Can such actions stop flight of investments? Bangalore is already claiming that Rs.8700 Crore of investments originally planned in Hyderabad by IT and other companies have moved to Bangalore. Its reported that the picture of flight of investments from Hyderabad to Bangalore would be clear during the upcoming Global Investors meet in Bangalore in June/July 2010.
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