Kerala Industry Minister P K Kunhalikutty on Thursday told the state assembly that software major Infosys Technologies has decided to set up a unit at the Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram.

Replying to a calling attention motion for the necessity of taking steps to stop the eviction proceedings in connection with the acquisition of land in Attipara village for expansion of the technopark in Kazhakkuttam, the minister said there was need for the expansion of technopark as it formed part of the proposed IT corridor in the state.

While allaying apprehensions over land acquisition and eviction of a large number of families, Kunhalikuty said only 15 families would be evicted for acquiring 250 acres of land for the technopark expansion and proper compensation would be given to all of them.

He said it was for the first time that software majors like Infosys have agreed to come to Kerala and this should be taken as a good signal for the development of IT in the state.

Maintaining that things were changing in the state for good, he said that a group of local people has submitted a memorandum asking the government to take their land for the development of the technopark.

In another incident, a section of employees in a software company outside the technopark protested against a call for strike by a group of employees of the same company, he said.