Don't make city '70s Kolkata, says Murthy

Hopes for government action

The state government's final nod for the international airport and several other infrastructure projects notwithstanding, Infosys Technologies chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy said that the city needs to gear up fast to attract as much investment as possible.

Speaking on the sidelines of a book launch in Bangalore on Wednesday, he related the present-day Bangalore to the Calcutta of the 1970s.

"We all know how Calcutta lost out then. We should learn from it and ensure that the work is accelerated," he said, adding, "it is for all of us to work together to make customers' access to the city easy, make it a great place for employees and citizens."

While thanking the state cabinet for clearing the airport project, he said, "I'm yet to see the finer details of the agreement. The plan was competitively drawn and I only hope that there is no major change. Nevertheless, I'm quite excited," he said.

His comments follow reports of yet another meet between chief minister Dharam Singh and IT captains to deliberate on the city's infrastructure woes. While Narayana Murthy said he is yet to receive any information on such a meet, he added that he will be more than glad to share his views.