By The Hindu Bureau
Even after the State government amended the liquor rules in April to permit the sale of legal alcohol at designated IT parks, the U.L. Cyber Park and the Government Cyber Park in Kozhikode have no plans for the time being to integrate socialising pubs into their ecosystems for tech professionals.
鈥淲e won鈥檛 be building pubs or shopping centres,鈥 T.K. Kishore Kumar, chief operating officer of U.L. Cyber Park, told The Hindu.
His statement was unsurprising, given that U.L. Cyber Park is part of the Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society (ULCCS), an organisation founded by 20th-century social reformer Vagbhatananda, which prohibits its members from consuming alcohol. Mr. Kumar emphasised that the park remains committed to eco-friendly expansion. 鈥淲e have focused on developments like telecommunication, green energy, and rainwater harvesting,鈥 he said.
Vivek Nair, general manager of the Government Cyber Park, confirmed there are, at present, no pubs at the park. 鈥淪uch establishments will be introduced in Technopark (Thiruvananthapuram) and Infopark (Kochi) before they are introduced in Cyberpark (Kozhikode),鈥 he pointed out. Mr. Nair added that the Cyber Park is currently prioritising infrastructure development with assistance from the Malabar Chamber of Commerce. 鈥淲e are looking to improve airport and railway connectivity; later, we may consider introducing restobars,鈥 he said.
The Government Cyber Park houses 80 companies and approximately 2,200 employees, while the U.L. Cyber Park has 40 companies, 40 start-ups, and over 2,000 employees. Both parks are situated on the Kozhikode Bypass at Nellikode.
Adithya Ajith, a tech employee at U.L. Cyber Park, expressed her contentment with the existing infrastructure, particularly the security. 鈥淭he park takes strict security measures, ensuring that employees have a disruption-free working environment,鈥 said Ms. Ajith, suggesting that for at least some employees, a safe workplace is paramount to satisfaction.
Abhishek P.C., an employee from Kozhikode working at the Government Cyber Park, noted that several of his colleagues were enthusiastic about the possibility of a pub on campus. 鈥淢any people working here would like to see a pub open on campus,鈥 said Mr. Abhishek. 鈥淚f it does, I鈥檓 not against it鈥攗ltimately, it would mean we finally get to enjoy our weekends,鈥 he added, hinting at a broader desire among IT employees for spaces and time to unwind.