Itasca had promised 75,000 jobs

In its proposal before the 7th High Level Clearance Committee (HLCC) meeting in 2006, the company had claimed to provide employment to about 75,000 people after implementing the project. However, it had not set any deadline for itself to complete the project.

Besides allotment of 325 acres of land, the HLCC, which was chaired by the then Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, decided to provide 4 million litre per day (MLD) of water, 46,375 KVK of power from Bescom and all incentives and concessions as the Millennium IT Policy for the project. The then Deputy Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa was also present in the meeting held on August 29, 2006.

Itasca, which has come under the Lokayukta scanner for allegedly violating the rule book in securing the approval and paying Rs 87 crore kickback to the then Industries Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu, came into existence on January 28, 2004. “The main objectives of the company are to provide multi dimensional computer services, covering hardware, software maintenance, BPO etc,” it claimed in the proposal, a copy of which is available with Deccan Herald.

Managing Director of the company S V Srinivas is said to be a close associate of Katta’s corporator-son Katta Jagadish. They, along with several others, had allegedly cheated hundreds of farmers in Jaala hobli in Devanahalli by selling their land to the KIADB using fictitious documents.