IT Corpus to promote innovation, e-governance in UP

Each department to pool 2% of budget for IT Corpus

Uttar Pradesh government would pool an Information Technology (I-T) Corpus under the new IT and Start-up Policy 2016 to promote innovation and e-governance.

Each department has been mandated to earmark a minimum of 2% of its plan budget for IT applications, UP electronics and IT principal secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari said here.

Interestingly, the IT Corpus would also fund the expenses towards the promotion of 'Brand UP' in an election year. The state polls are due early 2017.

The funds pooled by the different departments would be administered by the state IT department under the control of an Empowered Committee under the chairmanship of the UP chief secretary.

However, the departments would be allowed to retain funds for their requirements of maintenance of IT systems and consumables.

The pooled funds would be utilised for developing replicable and reusable models of e-governance, IT innovations in administration, IT supported resource optimisation, Management Information System (MIS), intranets, departmental applications and enabling technologies etc.

The priority would be accorded to the units located in the state for award of software and skill development work.

UP Information Technology & Start-up policy 2016 is aimed at facilitating both small and large IT/ ITeS industry spanning startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) by providing incentives and a conducive policy framework.

The policy trifurcates UP in three tiers, wherein Tier I includes Noida and Greater Noida. Tier II comprises Lucknow, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Meerut, Varanasi and other cities having population of over 2 million, including the Agra-Greater Noida Yamuna Expressway region. Tier III includes cities having population of less than 2 million.

The incumbent Akhilesh Yadav government has been trying to boost economic activity in the state for speedy job creation and economic development.