IT SMEs for greater share in e-governance projects

The IT SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in Orissa have urged the state IT department to come out with a new ICT (information and communication technologies) policy which would enable these units to have a greater share in the implementation of the e-governance projects in the state.

Presently, the share of the large IT units in the implementation of the e-governance projects in Orissa is more than ten times that of the SMEs, said Subhadarshi Mishra, secretary, Confederation of Information Technology Enterprises (CITE).

Mishra said, a new ICT policy was needed to overcome the anomalies existing between the large IT units and the SMEs in the state.

As against 230 acres of land allotted to the large IT players in the state, the SMEs have been allotted only 30 acres. While the 10 large IT units have a workforce of around 4000, there are 57 IT SMEs employing 6000 people.

The new ICT policy should be framed by the state government based on the progressive IT practices of neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal and also taking into account the global IT scenario post 2005.

Besides, the new ICT policy should incorporate enabling provisions for the IT SMEs like exemption of electricity duty, rent subsidy as well as waiver of VAT (value added tax), he added.

Bijoy K Sahoo, president, CITE pointed out that the IT SMEs were facing problems related to physical possession of land in the Infocity area of the city.

He said that though the units were allotted land, they were unable to take physical possession of the plot, adding, “The Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) needs to hand over bounded land to these units.”

Speaking on the occasion, P K Mohapatra, the state IT secretary said, “We need to revisit our ICT policy which was formulated in 2004. The state IT department will come out with a new ICT policy in 2010.”

Referring to the fast implementation of the e-governance projects in Orissa, he said, the state chief minister will inaugurate the e-registration project on January 1, 2010.

The e-registration project is being taken up at a cost of Rs 63 crore and it will be implemented on a BOOT (build, own, operate and transfer) basis by the Orissa e-Governance Services Limited, a special purpose vehicle formed by the Orissa Computer Application Centre and IL&FS- Infrastructure Development Corporation.