MP govt nod for new IT policy

Global airport at Indore mooted

Even as the 1999 IT policy has yielded little, the Shivraj Singh regime is all set to launch an ambitious new policy to promote information technology in the state.

The officials in the IT department have chalked out a blueprint for the policy to attract major players in the sector that has stressed on the need for international airports in Indore and Bhopal.

The state Cabinet has "tentatively" approved the draft of the policy and it is expected to be announced within the fortnight.

While the policy document draws upon those of other states, it is basically modelled on the IT policies of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

"We might be late but we should be the latest, that's what our chief minister wants," IT Minister Kailash Vijayvergiya said. "We are aiming at creating more than 10,000 jobs in the sector."

He declined to divulge on further details, but officials told Business Standard that the policy is focusing on attracting investment "from biggies likes Infosys, Wipro and the Tatas for which the government wants to create more infrastructures like international airports".

The minister also said, "All big players in IT sector wants an international airport in Indore and Bhopal. We have launched efforts to expand international airports at Indore and Bhopal and have identified land area for the purpose."

The new government has, however, failed to follow up on the initiatives taken by the previous Digvijay Singh government. The Gyandoot project website, which won the Stockholm Challenge award, has not been updated for years.

The previous state IT policy announced on May 5, 1999 has not been much of a success. It had a three-pronged agenda: improve citizen services at all levels of governance, promote IT investments in the state and promote use of Hindi applications and resources in IT.

"The state government websites are not interactive. Plus, there are no funds to maintian the Hindi applications," officials said.

Similarly, the IT parks planned in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur have also remained on the drawing board. Though some work has begun for the Indore Crystal IT park, there are no takers for the states' IT ambitions.