HYDERABAD: Infosys has been served with a showcause notice for charging a parking fee from its employees for using the campus parking space at Pocharam. The issue was raised by activist Vijay Gopal who had filed a PIL in High Court in July this year contesting the rule on grounds that the company was obligated to provide parking space to employees as per government order.
The company charges nearly Rs 1,700- Rs 2,000 per employee for round the year parking charges (Rs 500 for cars and Rs 200 for two wheelers) for using the campus parking and the Pocharam Municipality, in its showcause notice said, “The government has clarified that above G.O. No. 63 is applicable to all commercial establishments, institutional buildings, including standalone cinema theatres, hospitals, etc.”
The municipality further asked the company to file a response within seven days. Speaking about the issue, Vijay Gopal said that Infosys had been given 420 acres of land in Pocharam by the Telangana government at a throwaway price as part of the SEZ land and this was an illegal collection of parking fees from the staff in guise of encouraging public transport. While the matter is still sub-judice in the High Court, the activist notes that Infosys must withdraw the parking charges as government rules do not permit collection of fee from any place earmarked for parking.