As the news spread that World Bank had in 2007 clamped a four-year ban on Wipro from doing any business with it, its tremors were felt in Kolkata by thousands of employees of Wipro Spectramind — the company’s BPO arm in the city — who fear the worst is yet to come.

“When I first heard the news, I was scared, coming as it does after the Satyam fraud. Although we are in the BPO sector and not directly linked with Wipro Technologies, we are scared,” said Debanjan Bhattacharya, a trainee who has just completed three months at the firm.

Tanmoy Sarkar, also a trainee with in the same facility, was similarly tense. “We may be safe as of now, but after the Satyam fraud came to light, there is panic among the junior staff heer,” said Sarkar.

Group leader Abhijeet Dey, however, was unaware of the recent developments on Wipro being banned by the World Bank. “I am not too sure about the developments. But the Satyam incident has surely triggered some panic among the younger staff here,” said Dey, who heads a team of 25 executives.

Wipro’s BPO facility in Sector V was started in 2004 by with 1,500 personnel hired in the first phase. Wipro Spectramind currently employs around 3,000 people in its Sector V office.

The company has also been allotted 90 acres of land in Rajarhat for a proposed SEZ.

Officials at the Spectramind said the facility was in no way affected by the World Bank's decision to blacklist it.

State’s IT minister Debesh Das said the new development has in no way affected the company’s future plans in West Bengal.