The Rs 4,000-crore township that farmers built

What are your problems today?

We have to explain our long-term plans and people have to digest that. For example, we take Rs 50,000 as a one-time fee for maintenance of a two-bedroom home and Rs 75,000 for a three-bedroom one. We maintain everything today but at the back of people's mind is what will happen once all the buildings are built and sold. They want to know who will maintain the city then.

With the money we have collected we have created a corpus fund. With that we will create rental income. We will sell only the residential buildings. The IT park will be owned by the company. Once the loans are paid, the rent will come to the company. Nearly 15 per cent of this will be used to maintain the external environment of the software park. The IT park will support the maintenance of the residential buildings always.

We have people from all parts of the country here. They all come from different cultures and different backgrounds. There is the young crowd working in the software companies. There are pensioners. Making them come together is a big challenge. For that we have formed a cultural trust. Every apartment owner will be a member of this trust. They will get together to conduct cultural activities in the city.

We convinced them that cleanliness is very important. Garbage has to be separated at the source. We have our own garbage disposal system. It is working very well.

This is the first time we are building a city. So there are problems at every step. Every step is a learning process. The next city we build will not have so many problems. If you are accessible to the people they tell you what's bothering them and we try and solve it.

You have electric power back-up for every commercial company here. In case of a power failure how long will your back up last?
It is 100 per cent. It will last for as long as it is needed.

Are the farmers happy?

What more could they ask for? They are financially better off. They have an asset that will give them money always. This money has not only brought financial security, it has brought with it social upliftment. It has made them proud. They are also working as vendors to the company.

Their children go to a good school. They are also proud of our unity that helped us achieve so much. We are a shining example for other farmers in this area.