Top Infosys official T V Mohandas Pai has alleged that his company was asked to pay bribe by government officials to clear projects but it refused and said files ''go missing'' when ''palms are not greased.''

"We were asked to pay bribe. We refused. But in all places, wherever Infosys is functioning today, we have been supported by the chief secretaries. In north India too, we got the approval without paying a single rupee bribe," he said.

"This because we brought the issue to the notice of higher officials. It takes a long time to get things done unless you grease people's palms and if you refuse like we do always, it takes a delay.

"They don't give it at all.... The file disappears or the file is not available.... They are not able to locate the file. They are not able to search the file," Pai, who is Human Resources Director of the software major, said yesterday, maintaining that the proposed Lokpal Bill will go a long way towards changing the situation.