[Assam] Assam hardsells its IT agenda-- Minister rates state over Bengal, Gujarat ( The Telegraph, Friday , August 29 , 2008)

[Buljit Buragohain]

Assam hardsells its IT agenda - Minister rates state over Bengal, Gujarat 

A STAFF REPORTER


Guwahati, Aug. 28: Assam aggressively courted IT giants today, even promising to relax building bylaws in Guwahati’s proposed masterplan to accommodate the industry’s ambition that brooks no “vertical restrictions”.
The mood was set by Governor S.C. Mathur during the inaugural session of NICT 2008, the region’s biggest IT convergence, organised by The Telegraph.
 
Mathur, who was the guest of honour on the occasion, told the gathering of experts, academics and corporate honchos that his government was giving a “pro-people, pro-business touch” to its IT policy that was currently under revision.
 
Taking a subtle dig at those who paint a bleak picture of the state’s law and order situation, Mathur exhorted IT companies to participate “freely and without fear” in the development of the sector.
 
“I can say with conviction that the situation in Assam is much better than in most other states. If a proper development strategy is adopted and followed, these can be resolved in due course. Assam is doing exactly that — pursuing peace and development side by side,” Mathur said.
 
The governor next listed the initiatives taken up by the government to give a boost to the IT sector, chief among them being the development of an IT park near Borjhar and transforming its “trainable” workforce into an “employable” one in partnership with NASSCOM. 
 
IT minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took over from where Mathur left off during the session on Enabling the Northeast, announcing that there would be no “vertical restrictions” for setting up IT infrastructure in the state.
Building bylaws would be relaxed in the proposed Guwahati masterplan, the minister said. 
 
IT companies will also get capital subsidy under the new Northeast Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, he said. 
That is not all. 
 
Dispur will set up or facilitate 15 new engineering colleges by 2012 to ensure a steady supply of trained people for the IT industry and other sectors. Making a strong case for investment in the state, Sarma asserted that Assam was much better placed in comparison to Gujarat and Bengal on the law and order front.
 
“We don’t have as many blasts as in Ahmedabad or need to beg for land from any politician like it is happening in Bengal. Our government takes independent decisions that reflect the aspirations of the people. But sadly, only the negatives get published. That we set up three medical colleges at one stroke was not highlighted, nor was the fact that we are setting up a knowledge city. A change of mindset is required vis-à-vis Assam. I thank The Telegraph for at least trying to bring about some positive changes through this initiative,” he said.
 
D.D. Purkayastha, managing director and CEO, ABP Pvt Limited, and organising secretary, NICT 2008, while recalling the publishing group’s close association with the Northeast, said the two-day IT event was yet another extension of this relationship. 
 
“Spawned from a need to increase awareness about the benefits of IT enablement in an area with abundant talent, natural resources, strategic location and tremendous market potential, NICT has done that and more today. It has created a niche for itself as the premier ICT event in the Northeast. By integrating business with technology, it has brought into focus the opportunities that the region affords, thereby providing the impetus for investment in the region’s top sectors,” he said. 
 
Amitabha Datta, president, dailies, ABP Pvt Ltd, offered the vote of thanks to the sponsors and the participants. 
 
DoNER minister Mani Shankar Aiyar is expected to attend tomorrow’s proceedings
 
( The Telegraph, Friday , August 29 , 2008)       
 
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080829/jsp/frontpage/story_9758792.jsp



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