The state information technology (IT) department has urged the Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) to hand over three acres of land in favour of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) for setting up a new STPI centre at Balasore.
STPI had asked for 10,000 sq ft built up space, three acres of land and Rs 1 crore grant-in-aid as state's contribution for this centre.
It may be noted that the Union government's department of electronics and IT has proposed to set up an STPI unit in Balasore.
Idco, the state government's land acquisition agency, has identified land for the centre. A joint inspection team, which visited Balasore recently, has earmarked a three-acre patch out of a total area of 4.26 acres at Bampada industrial estate in Balasore belonging to Idco.
"I request you to kindly allot the aforesaid land for construction of a new STPI centre at Balasore", Satyabrata Ray, deputy secretary (IT) wrote to Vishal Dev, chairman cum managing director, Idco.
For establishing the STPI centre at Balasore, the state government had allocated a sum of Rs 3 crore (Rs 1 crore as state's contribution and Rs 2 crore for additional infrastructure) in the state's annual budget for 2012-13.
If it comes through, the Balasore STPI centre will be fourth such facility in the state after Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Berhampur.
STPI is an autonomous society under Union ministry of communication and information technology for promotion of software exports from the country.
