Punjab govt to roll out new IT policy soon: Min

A new information technology (IT) policy will be rolled out soon, aimed to cater to the needs of state's IT industry, Punjab IT and PWD minister Vijay Inder Singla today said.

"The government of Punjab has already given in-principle approval to the new IT policy for the state," Singla said.

"After having notified the New Industrial and Business Development Policy- 2017, process is on to cater to the sector specific nuances and soon a new IT policy will be framed in order to cater to the requirements of Information Technology sector", Singla said during an interaction with industrialists and entrepreneurs from the IT/ITeS and Electronics Industry at Software Technology Park of India (STPI), Mohali.

He said the move is aimed at developing a holistic framework for sustainable Information Technology sector growth in the state.

Singla further informed that a Special IT Task force would be formed in the state to chalk out a roadmap to develop Mohali as the best IT destination amongst the tier-II cities in the country and went on to say that this team would be headed by an eminent IT person of national repute.

The Special Task Force would suggest ways and means to attract major IT players to Mohali. He said that despite an ideal pro IT ecosystem, the city has not been able to attract big players which reflects that there is some disconnect between the industry and the department.

This disconnect will be redressed at the earliest and earnest efforts will be taken to develop Mohali as an IT hub par excellence, the minister said.

He said the task force would also give suggestions, which in turn, will be implemented by the IT department in a stipulated timeframe. Singla said an idea to appoint a 'Chief Innovation Officer' from corporate background would also be explored.

The minister said that in order to promote IT industry, the government has also given in-principle nod to providing power to the IT industry at Rs 5 per unit in line with the provision of power to other industries at Rs 5 per unit.

Along with facilitating the big IT units to come up in Mohali, the department is also making sincere efforts to boost start-ups and government has made a Rs 20 crore provision for the same, the minister informed.