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In an effort to promote growth of information technology in the state of
Jammu & Kashmir, a two day trade show and conference was recently organized by
information and communication technology association (ICTA) in Srinagar.
Inaugurating the ICT Expo 2009, Omar Abdullah, chief minister, Jammu &
Kashmir disclosed about his plans to set up a modern software technology park in
the state. Speaking more on the upcoming project Abdullah said, I am now going
to sit down with the IT department and others concerned, to work out a plan for
setting up an integrated software technology park for Kashmir. When I was in
union commerce ministry, we were given a software technology park at Rangret.
But it does not have the look of a modern, twenty-first century IT Park. He
plans to set up the proposed IT Park in the outskirts of Srinagar. The chief
minister also informed about other IT projects initiated by the state, and
talked about the investment plans for them. There is an investment of roughly
Rs 150 crore in three projectsSWAN, data center, and common service center. All
these projects involve local entrepreneurs and new avenues are thus created for
employment for all those youngsters who have chosen this line, he informed.
Encouraging local entrepreneurship in IT sector he said, The talent pool is
already available. What we havent been able to do is to create opportunities
for that to be utilized within the state. And this is an area, where my
government is committed to help local entrepreneurs grow.
Explaining more about the current IT projects implemented by the state, Aga
Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, IT minister, Jammu & Kashmir said, Apart from SWAN, CSC we
have projects like digitization and several other on e-governance. We will try
to encourage local entrepreneurs to take up these projects. Our mission is to
make the existing IT policy in the state beneficial to local people and we will
provide every opportunity to them. He also informed that IT department has been
working towards making a better roadmap for growth of IT in the state, and that
J&K e- governance agency and a departmental taskforce have been created for
proper implementation of current and future IT projects. If the people will
work seriously in this sector, they can make themselves employable. I reassure
that government will provide them with the ground to grow, he said. Mehdi also
suggested ICTA to organize such expos and seminars in rural areas in order to
create more awareness among locals.
Agreeing about the lack of IT awareness in the state, Jahangir Raina,
chairman, ICTA said that the basic reason behind forming the association and
organizing the expo is to promote IT, and generate local awareness. ICT needs
to be established as a major industry within the state providing long term,
sustainable employment for professional and ICT individuals, he said.
Emphasizing on the challenges associated with IT growth in the valley, Raina
said that the biggest challenge at present is the lack of local participation in
the government ICT projects. The other challenges include weak infrastructure,
lack of awareness, brain drain, unreliable electricity, and political turmoil.
Piyali Guha
piyalig@cybermedia.co.in
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