Panel to decide features of new ICT policy

The Orissa IT department has got its act together to come out with the broad contours of the much awaited new ICT (information and communication technology) policy of the state government.

A six-member committee is likely to meet in the first week of September this year to discuss the features which would be incorporated in the new ICT policy, an official source told Business Standard.

The committee comprises the officials of the state IT department, Orissa Computer Application Centre (OCAC), the technical directorate of the state IT department and representatives from the IT units and the academia engaged in IT education.

The new ICT policy which was to be modeled on the best IT practices of IT friendly states like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal was set to be finalised by November this year.

Apart from including the best IT practices of states like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and positioning Orissa as a favourable destination for IT investments, the new policy would also contain enabling measures for growth of IT SMEs (small and medium enterprises).

The state IT department is set to formulate a new ICT policy after a gap of five years.

The new policy assumes significance as the state had emerged as one of the attractive destinations for the IT sector.

While the big four of the IT sector including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Infosys Technologies, Wipro Technologies and Mahindra Satyam (formerly Satyam Computers) already have a presence in Orissa, other IT players like MindTree Consulting, Genpact, Zensar Technologies, Mumbai-based Raheja Corporation and Kolkata-based Apeejay Surrendra Group have also announced their projects in the state.

The proposed IT projects were facing delay as the IT majors were going slow on construction work in the aftermath of the global economic meltdown.

The state IT department was planning to review the progress of these projects in October this year.

Asked on the status of the Infocity-II project, the source said, “A budgetary provision of Rs 150 crore has been made by the state government for external infrastructure for the project like roads, electricity and water supply. However, the Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) needs to select a developer for developing the infrastructure within the Infocity-II area.”

The Infocity-II project will come up over 500 acres of land at Janla on the outskirts of the city. While land acquisition for it is already over, the construction of the boundary wall is yet to be completed.

It may be noted that the Infocity-II project being taken up as a part of the proposed IT investment region in the state, was expected to be fully operational by the end of 2012.