MP declares new IT policy

Bhopal, Mar 21: The Madhya Pradesh government today declared its new information technology policy granting a slew of concessions to attract new industries and to implement e-governance in a big way to bring in transparency in the administration.

Announcing the new IT policy in the Assembly, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said a high-powered cabinet committee would be formed to monitor its implementation. The new policy which explained the roadmap for spreading information technology in the state by 2016, was needed because the earlier policy of 1999 had failed to achieve the target, he said.

Software technology parks would be developed near the airports at Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur, where various facilities and liberal tax concessions would be provided to attract business process outsourcing and IT-enabled services, Mr Chouhan said. Single window system would be adopted to provide no-objection certificates.

Concessions proposed include exemption in stamp duty, registration fee and setting up captive power plants, allotment of land free of cost to units employing more than 500 people, power supply through dedicated feeder, exemption in Factories Act, Maternity act, Contract labour act, Minimum wages act, Payment of wages act, ESI Act, Entry Tax, Electricity Duty and Work contract tax for five years and facilities at par with Special Economic Zone.

Mr Chouhan said the new IT policy, approved by the cabinet today, would be one of the best in the country as the salient features of the policies of other states had been incorporated. ''Though our state had made a delayed start, we would endeavour to make it beneficial,'' he said.

Citing an example, he said while Andhra Pradesh provided land concession upto a maximum of Rs 20,000 per person employed, it would be Rs 25,000 in Madhya Pradesh.

Emphasis had also been given for capacity building wherein 500 schools would be earmarked as IT complexes to impart entire teaching through computers. All engineering colleges and selected polytechnics would be identified as centres of excellence to develop skill-bank in the state, the Chief Minister said.

Expressing his commitment for rural development, he said information technology would be spread to the rural areas.

E governance would be encourage in a big way, he added.

Commenting on the new policy, Leader of the Opposition Jamuna Devi said the state would have made a headway in IT revolution if the 'Gyandoot' scheme started during the previous Congress rule was continued.

UNI