Goa to review IT policy to attract companies

The Goa government is in the process of reviewing the state's Information Technology (IT) policy to incorporate measures like a special economic zone (SEZ) for the sector, as the earlier policy had failed to attract any company, the assembly was informed.

Eight IT companies had set up their shops in Goa in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and have a total turnover of more than Rs 8.46 crore, the IT minister Dayanand Narvekar informed the house.

As per the IT policy formulated by the erstwhile Parrikar government, incentives such as preferential power tariff, reimbursement of interest charges for loans from the Economic Development Corporation and land at concessional rates, were offered to industries setting up shop in Goa.

But, no company had availed these benefits, prompting the present government to review the policy, Narvekar said.

Measures such as a SEZ for IT, an IT habitat at Dona Paula (for which land was available) and a cyber city for which, land acquisition is in progress, would form part of the new policy, he said.

Last year, Parrikar had unveiled the IT policy with much fanfare saying, it would make Goa a preferred IT destination.