IT must be taken to villages: Mahajan

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHUBANESWAR, AUG. 20. The Union Minister of Information Technology, Mr. Pramod Mahajan, has called for wide use of information technology to improve the quality of life of the people at large.

Inaugurating Infocity, an information technology park at Chandka Industrial Estate here, on Saturday evening, Mr. Mahajan said information technology should be taken to villages across the country instead of being used in urban settlements alone. Although IT could not cater to the basic needs of life, it could ensure efficient and transparent governance, he said.

``While IT is today fashion for many and passion for those involved in the trade to make big money, it should be a mission for the Government to serve the one-billion-odd population of the country,'' Mr. Mahajan said.

Observing that English should remain the IT language to help the country to grow as a global power in the field, Mr. Mahajan said use of the technology should be encouraged in different Indian languages so that the benefit could reach the masses.

Stating that the Central Government was well aware of the role that IT was playing in changing the people's lives, the Minister said steps were being taken for a three-fold increase in number of the engineering colleges in the country within the next three years to produce a large number of professionals.

Lauding the efforts of the Orissa Government to computerise its work, Mr. Mahajan assured all help from the Centre to IT-related projects being planned by the State if the latter was ready to contribute its share.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Naveen Patnaik, urged the Centre to bring down the basic telephone tariff to realise the dream of ``IT for the masses''.

Mr. Patnaik also urged the Centre to improve the existing communication infrastructure in the State, particularly in the area of Internet. The Internet facility available in the State was still limited.

He said the official website of the Orissa Government was all set to go online in a fortnight, the Chief Minister said the website had been designed to provide comprehensive information on physical and financial progress of various schemes, projects and activities of the Government in a transparent manner. Ultimately, the website would become a portal capable of delivering substantive public services online.

Mr. Patnaik said that Orissa, which had an IT policy in place, was occupying the sixth position in the country in IT exports. A target of IT export worth Rs. 2,000 crores from the State by 2005 had been set, he said.

Observing that Bhubaneswar was emerging as the leading destination for the IT sector in Eastern India despite a series of handicaps, Mr. Patnaik requested the Centre to introduce a direct flight between Bhubaneswar and Bangalore.

Until this was done, the daily flight of Indian Airlines between Calcutta and Bangalore should be made a hopping flight, touching Bhubaneswar.

Termed as the IT gateway to Eastern India, Infocity has been set up by the Orissa Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation for Rs. 25.5 crores, which include a Central Government grant of Rs. 10 crores and a term loan of Rs. 5.25 crores from the Orissa Government.

Infocity, set up on 205 acres, will accommodate several IT companies, including Infosys Technologies Limited. Infosys is likely to start running its software development centre from Infocity by December end this year.

Wipro is also likely to set up its software development centre here. Besides, many growing IT companies are planning to come to Infocity.

On its part, IDCO has created several facilities inside Infocity, including well laid out roads, an administrative building, fire station, police station, first aid centre, a communication centre, central canteen, electric substation and drinking water supply.

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