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Far Ahead of Other States
in e-Governance
Aman Kumar Singh, Secretary Information Technology
and Energy, Government of Chhattisgarh, has said that
IT and ITES will be used to improve the quality of life of
the people of Chhattisgarh.
According to Singh, it will be done through measures
such as transparent e-governance.
“As far as leveraging IT for improving our governance is
concerned we are proud to say that Chhattisgarh is one
of the leading states in India,” he said.
Singh pointed out that in certain areas Chhattisgarh had
done much better than the so-called front line States
such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
“We are the first State which has zero referenced all the
cadastral maps, we have digitized them and for every
land parcel we have developed a very comprehensive
GIS for the whole State,” he added.
Singh observed that Information technology primarily
had two components. One component dealt with the
number of IT units, software exports, BPO units, so on
and so forth. The other aspect dealt with leveraging IT for
improving the people's lives, in which the State had done
remarkable job.
However, on the first front, Chhattisgarh had a lot to do
on account of certain historical disadvantages but is
striving to catch up with the rest of the country.
Initiatives & Incentives
Boost IT Action Plan
The Government has drawn up an 'Action Plan' to extend support to
ensure that IT & ITES Policy yields results. Besides providing quality
infrastructure and developing human resources, the Government has
taken a number of initiatives to ensure that Chhattisgarh contributes
substantially to the IT output of the country by 2010. This will not only
ensure that IT contributes significantly to the economic development
of the State but that it also helps sustain livelihoods and create
extensive employment opportunities and uplift of living standards.
IT as a Thrust Industry
Information Technology has been identified as a special thrust
industry and a number of incentives will be offered in line with the
Industrial Policy of the State. All software industries including Services
and Training Institutions in I.T. will be entitled to "Industry" status. Such
units shall be eligible for all concessions and incentives applicable to
Industries. For the purpose of this clause, accredited Training
Institutions will also be eligible to claim industry status, subject to
certain norms which will enable them to obtain Term Loans and Bank
Finance at industry rates.
IT Promotion Agency
To promote entrepreneurship and creating an institutional
mechanism for supporting local initiatives,
CHiPS would work as a high level
Information Technology Promotion
Agency. It would focus on strengthening
Research & Development efforts of the
State and provide financial support for
local entrepreneurs. To operationalize this,
an Industry Consortium will be formed with
active collaboration of the State
Government, NRIs, leading industrial
houses, software companies and venture
capital companies to address the huge
opportunity offered by IT enabled services
and back office services. State will setup an
incubation centre to provide infrastructure
to local entrepreneurs.
- INDO US BUSINESS SPECIAL ISSUE
47