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Goa plans major thrust in infotech

Sandesh Prabhudesai in Panaji

Goa, eager to create its own space in the global IT village, plans to march ahead with a new slogan - the 'Intelligent State'.

"Keeping excellence as our main objective, our aim is to catch up and rise beyond other states within a span of three years from now," said Ramakant Khalap, the information technology minister.

Prepared by the infotech advisory council and headed by CSIR chairman Raghunath Mashelkar, Khalap has tabled a seven-page policy document - 'Vision Infotech Goa' - in the state assembly.

Khalap said that favourable factors like high literacy rate and a very large English-speaking population will help Goa to provide IT-enabled services.

Khalap further said that the project is different because the plan includes the whole state, even the remotest of villages, most of which are already connected with optical fibre cable network.

The objective is to create a fully e-governed, information-rich state with real-time access to information, on-line commercial transactions, state-of-the-art communications and industrial infrastructure, states the five-tier policy document.

The first and foremost emphasis is thus on education. Attempts are being made to introduce IT as a compulsory subject from 8th standard onwards, besides formulating special streams at higher secondary as well as graduation level. The Goa University also plans to increase its strength in engineering and MCA.

Khalap has in fact already begun talks with IIIT, Allahabad, requesting the prestigious institution to make Goa part of its campus. He feels that this way scarcity of IT experts in the tourist state can be overcome.

The state also proposes rebate in stamp duty for acquiring premises and increasing the floor area ratio to additional 50 per cent.

Top priority would be given for power connection.

"Besides hardware and software manufacturing units, value additions through processing studios and usage of multimedia services in the communication industry, media, films and TV could also be provided for," states Khalap.

Plans to make available special budgetary provision of around Rs 150 to Rs 200 million, and provide venture capital to support first generation technocrats and entrepreneurs are also on the anvil.

In its endeavour to make the old proposal of building an 'IT habitat' near Goa University, at the outskirts of Panaji, a reality, the government has initiated talks with Singapore-based Jurong Town Corporation, L&T and the Tatas.

Khalap plans to make information of all revenue-related departments available on-line by the year-end while completing the whole e-governance process, which is starting March onwards, in two years.

He also plans to immediately set up IT kiosks in all the 11 talukas and take it to panchayat level subsequently, making information as well as services accessible to the citizens along with prompt online response from the concerned officials.

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