VISION
INFOTECH GOA :POLICY
DOCUMENT
Adv Ramakant Khalap
Minister of Information Technology
Education
| E-Governance | Promotion
| Parks | Venture
Capital
Goa has a special place in India due to
its history, geography and centuries of arts, culture and
music .One-third of all foreign tourists pass through Goa,
and in spite of its size, the number of tourists per year
equal its own population. Even so, Goa has yet to create
its USP in the field of Infotech, considering the advances
made in the neighbouring states. Bangalore has deservedly
earned the sobriquet of "Silicon City of India" due to hardware
and software manufacture in the also twenty years while
Hyderabad has modelled itself to be "Cyberabad", introducing
every aspect of Infotech throughout the state. Maharashtra
and Tamil Nadu have also taken aggressive expansion steps
towards e-governance while Gujarat has gone for the Positra
Project, a concentrated Infotech, enabled-city.
In this scenario, Goa could merge its traditions
of tourism, arts, culture and music with the need for e-governance,
and emerge as a Centre for Infotech-enabled Services, as
its niche. As its effort to catch up and raise beyond the
other states, keeping Excellence as a paramount objective,
the State Government has re-constituted the apex level advisory
body, " Infotech Council" headed by Dr. R. A. Mashelkar,
Chairman, CSIR. The Council has, as its Members, some of
the top names in Infotech in India and abroad.
In addition, for implementation and manifestation
of the vision and policy outlined by the Council, the State
Government would have an Infotech Committee, which would
provide ways and means to actualise the vision of making
the entire State of Goa as the first "Intelligent State".
INFOTECH POLICY FOR THE MILLENNIUM
The Infotech Policy for Goa is aimed at
helping overall growth of economy through use of Information
Technology (IT). The objective is to create a fully e-governed,
information-rich state with real-time access to information,
on-line commercial transactions, state-of-the-art communications
and industrial infrastructure. The USP for Goa would be,
top of the line Infotainment Industry , which would attract
business from even the neighbouring states. This would require
extensive IT Education at all levels to provide the necessary
manpower and the Government's commitment to a transparent
and responsive administration, through on-line smooth e-governance.
Some of the instrumental objectives
to achieve this vision are:
1. Creation of state-of-the-art infrastructure
in IT education .
2. E-Governance to enable and empower
the common men to approach the Government on-line, towards
an effective, transparent and responsive administration.
3. Creation of USP for Goa through
special thrust in IT Industries, especially IT enabled services,
Convention centre & Infotainment Industries in a dedicated
Cyber City
4. Creating excellent infrastructure
and setting up of IT Habitats and Cyber Parks in different
location throughout Goa.
5. Induce a regime of financial inputs,
incentives and concessions as catalyst to promote Goa as
a brand, with its USP.
6. Venture capital to first generation
technocrats - entrepreneurs with the clear objective of
leap-frogging in technology, providing best practices in
Goa and "Intelligent Jobs" to the youth through backward
integration of the industry.
IT EDUCATION
The Government is committed to improve
the infrastructure and in effect, the very environment required
for Infotech Education at all levels.
The Government has made IT education compulsory
at secondary and higher secondary level for school students.
A student must obtain a certificate in IT education while
in 8th, 9th & 10th
standards. Similarly, at higher secondary level., a student
also must get an appropriate certificate in IT Education
while in 11th & 12th standards.
The Government has taken steps to introduce
exclusive discipline in IT at higher secondary level to
help students in securing admission for Bachelor of Technology
at University level. Simultaneously, the Government is creating
most advanced infrastructure through private participation
as well, by establishing autonomous institutes in Information
Technology having world class facilities and providing training
in specialised advanced courses in post-graduation and doctorate
programmes. Agreement to establish an IIIT is at an advanced
stage, and private technical institutes are also proposed
to be set up for ensuring trained IT manpower for the millennium.
The Government has taken steps to accredit
or recognise all the private institutions in Goa to standardise
and calibrate lT Education. The Government has created awareness
for the necessity of computerisation in all the Government
departments towards an integrated grid of information, the
essence of e-governance. Accordingly, the Government has
taken steps to impart IT training to all the Government
employees.
UP
E-GOVERNANCE
The Government is committed to provide
qualitative "consumer satisfaction" in serving the citizens.
The Government is ultimately answerable to the people, and
the people have a right to transparent, responsive and accountable
governance; in the Age of Information, access to real-time
information , monitoring mechanisms and an effective grievance
redressal machinery is a duty of the government. Usage of
infotech in governance would help immensely to achieve this
objective and taking the Government to the people in real-time,
online.
The Government has taken aggressive action
to computerise the entire administrative set up within a
time frame of two years. Apart from being an aid to decision-
making and monitoring for the government, IT applications
can provide far better & prompt services to the citizens,
with increase in the administration's productivity, reduction
in costs and at the same time, improvement in the social
infrastructure, by prioritising goals in vital sectors.
The Government is committed to provide quality services
through participation of commercial / industrial organisations,
towards e-governance.
In their effort to make the government
accessible from the remotest point of Goa, a special stress
has been laid on Networking the state through fibre-optic
cable ,to provide information and services to the citizens
by establishing booths (or kiosks) throughout Goa, so that
a real -time application can be made from the interior parts
of Goa, and yet prompt online response of the state Govt.
official concerned can be expected by the people. In this
way, an applicant can keep "track " of the status of his
case.
The Government has, to this end, made financial
provision to the extent of 10% of the budget to achieve
the overall objective of E-Governance speedily.
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PROMOTION OF
IT AND INFOTAINMENT INDUSTRY
The Government is also giving highest priority
for development of IT and a futuristic, state -of-the-art
infotainment industry with a view to create gainful employment
and generate revenue to the exchequer which will help for
creation and improvement of social infrastructure like education,
health, civic amenities, roads, protection of environment,
communication etc.
Goa can merge its culture and talent towards
development of a USP; apart from the usual hardware and
software manufacturing units, there could be value addition
through processing studios and usage of multimedia services
in the communications industry, media, films & TV, promising
a huge employment potential and growth of "intelligent industries".
International standards would ensure excellence
and global business opportunities, and development of convention
centres, trade centres and "destination for seminars" would
ensure arrival of top of the line travellers, rather than
the backpacker tourists. In effect Infotech can change the
fabric of visitors to Goa.
The Government has reduced and streamlined
the procedures required for establishment of IT industry.
The Government has announced entrepreneur-friendly
incentives and concessions to promote IT software and IT-
enabled services in Goa:
To this end, the Government has in principle
decided to accord maximum leverage in Exemptions, wherever
possible, of No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Pollution
Board , within the environmental laws and regulations. Further,
Zonal regulations are sought to be relaxed so as to permit
IT Software and IT-enabled commercial services in industrial
and commercial zones, residential and mofussil areas located
in exclusive buildings, etc.
Further, relaxation in the FAR is being
formulated, for buildings outside Municipal limits in the
various IT Parks and High-tech habitats to be established
by the Government or within its approval. It would greatly
help any citizen to open small office-home office (SOHO)
and operate his business from his home, adding to the earnings
of the State.
An ambitious concession from Stamp Duty
is being formulised to attract investors; this involve rebate
from payment of stamp duty on sale deed or lease deed for
premises for establishing IT Software & IT enabled services
in IT Park, Habitat, ITECH established by government corporation
or government approved private parks having minimum facilities
like dedicated connectivity, adequate back up power, minimum
parking space of 25 sq. mt. for every 100 sq. mt. of built
B up space.
It further aims at rebate of stamp duty
on sale deed or lease deed for land in IT Parks established
by Government corporations / department. The said rebate
shall be only for first transaction of sale deed or lease
deed executed by government corporation / department or
private park.
The rebate is proposed to be in the
following manner:
Land / built up premises sold / leased:
before 01/04/2002 -
100%
on or after 01/04/2002 but before 01/4/2003.
- 75%
on or after 01/4/2003 but before 1/4/2005
- 50%.
An additional incentive to operate IT services,
such as Call Centres, is being given through amendment in
the local labour act and laws. IT Software and IT enabled
services are permitted to run three shifts operation for
ladies and gents subject to employer ensuring security to
employees. These units are allowed for self-certification
of the State Act relating to the labour.
It is further decided that power connection
will be released on priority to IT Software & IT enabled
service units.
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NOTIFYING
IT PARKS / HABITATS
IT Parks / Habitats established by Government
Department / Corporation shall be exempted from the purview
of municipalities / village Panchayats along with amendment
of other local laws and regulations as considered necessary.
However the Government may evolve a scheme whereby IT software
& IT enabled services are induced to adopt and assume
responsibility for overall civic amenities, development
of works, employment, education and also to impart training
to youth thereby assuring backward integration and employment,
as a direct benefit to the local population and ensuring
a healthy industry-public relationship in the long run.
PROMOTION OF IT ENABLED SERVICES
Goa has natural factors which are favourable
for IT enabled services: Goa has one of the highest literacy
rate in the country and a very large percentage of the population
is conversant in English and other languages, thus making
Goa a front runner in setting up IT- enabled services. Potential
of educated youth has to be harnessed for productive purposes
by providing job opportunities. As a first measure, the
Government will provide financial assistance by way of equity
through its corporations which will link with creation of
jobs to citizens of Goa. The amount of equity may range
up to Rs. 50,000 per job which will be pegged at 26% of
the total equity, to be decided on merit.
HI-TECH HABITAT & PARKS / CYBER CITY
Goa has fibre optical cable network spread
through out the state. The number of telephone connections
is one of the highest in the country, and internet users
in Goa are fairly large. Sufficient bandwidth is available
throughout Goa for global connectivity.
The Government is committed to create and
improve infrastructure for IT and Infotainment Industry
in Goa to suit their requirement. The Government has already
set up one STP complex in Goa and is already functioning.
Hi-Tech Habitat
This Hi-Tech Habitat is being established
on a 70 acre land situated at Dona Paula in the proximity
of Panaji, the Capital of Goa. This location shall enjoy
the patronage of institutions like University of Goa, NIO,
Goa institute of Management etc. This project is being proposed
for implementation through joint participation of reputed
private parties. The Habitat shall have integrated facilities
of dedicated large bandwidth communication, incubation centres
and centralised common facilities. The Industry shall have
option of acquiring raw built up space or completely furnished
premises on rental or sale basis. The cost shall be most
competitive and reasonably low.
Cyber City
As its ambitious programme for creating
a USP for Goa, it is proposed to establish a Cyber City
within a special economic zone near the proposed international
airport site. The Cyber City would include and world-class
convention centre, hospitality and entertainment, IT-enabled
services and processing studios for attracting international
conventions and delegates, to provide a high-spending tourist
profile for Goa as opposed to being a haven for backpackers.
The proposed Cyber City would be located
in a picturesque spot in Mandrem-Morjim area where huge
and suitable land is available, along with sufficient water.
This city would be linked through MRTS (under discussions
with the Konkan Railways authorities ) to the proposed international
airport at Mopa for easy connectivity . Implementation of
this project is also being proposed by joint participation
of reputed private parties.
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VENTURE CAPITAL
The growth of IT industry is largely from
the contribution of first generation technocrats - entrepreneurs.
Ordinarily a technocrat who desires to venture into IT area
need to be supported with initial capital. Goa offers venture
capital for such technocrats.
It is thus perceived that within a year,
the e-governance and e-education would be a realistic target
and the systems would be substantially in place for aggressively
pursuing the larger goals of evolving Goa as a brand product,
namely the "Intelligent State". It is expected that software
entrepreneurs would be setting up units in the next two
years or so, and under the policy guidance of the Infotech
Council and the Infotech Committee, the State would arrive
on the international Infotech scene in three years time,
with simultaneous construction of a multitude of systems
and projects.
22 January 2001
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