Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, March 17: The state government Tuesday outlined its vision of making Orissa an Information Technology (IT) hub by 2020, through the setting up of six more Software Technology Parks of India (STPIs) in various cities. The six will be in addition to the four that are now at implementation stage.
This was stated in the assembly on behalf of IT minister Pranab Prakash Das by tourism and culture minister Ashok Chandra Panda. Replying to a question from Congress MLA Naba Kishore Das during Question Hour, Panda said, “Currently four STPIs are being set up in four cities including Bhubaneswar and Rourkela while six more STPIs are on the cards.”
The Jharsuguda MLA, while noting that the state government provided IT firms with free land and tax benefits, wanted to know how many individuals from the state have been employed in these firms. BJD MLA Amar Prasad Satapathy also raised the issue and alleged that there was reluctance on the part of IT firms to hire job-aspirants from the state. He wanted to know whether the government had put any condition in this respect before these firms were allowed to set up firms.
The minister said, “Currently, the state has 108 IT and software companies in which around 13,334 persons from Orissa are employed.”
Panda said, “The state government is also planning to launch a skill development initiative for engineering graduates during their final year campus placement through the employment mission.” He also told the house that from 2010 to 2014, these companies had developed and exported software solutions worth `2,300crore.
To a question as to what steps were being taken by the state government to provide facilities to software companies interested in setting up their units in the state, the minister replied that the state government had, last year, formulated a policy called ‘Information Communication and Technology Policy – 2014’ in which provisions have been made to provide incentives to companies. Accordingly, the companies are being provided government assistance for setting up their firms.