His government has been focusing on steering the state toward a solid economiv footing–and information technology plays a key role in this grand plan. The CM outlines his vision for an IT-savvy Assam
l How
important is IT to your government? What are your government’s initiatives on
this front?
IT is central to our plans of revitalizing the economy of the state. We have
realized the immense benefits that IT can bring to the government and the people
of Assam. We are aware that IT penetration can result in generating huge
employment and bringing about transparency and efficiency in governance.
All 23 districts in Assam have a website now. The CM’s office has been
fully computerized. We have initiated a tele-medicine project connecting
Guwahati to AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) so that patients
here can consult doctors without travelling. I have asked my officers to become
computer-literate and deploy IT in their day to day functioning. We will be
announcing the policy for IT and IT-enabled services, the blueprint for which is
being developed by IIT Guwahati
TARUN |
l What is your
budget for deploying IT in the government machinery?
The budget is not a problem for us. We have funds from the Ministry for
North East Development and the Ministry of IT as well. We have enough funds for
our immediate requirements although they may not be enough to reach the heights
of say Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka. But that itself is not a fair comparison
since these states are years ahead.
l How do you
plan to harness IT for economic development?
We are keen to have our IT policy in place soon. We also propose to have an
Action Plan formulated by experts who will advise us on how to achieve the best
results on this front. They will also examine the extent of the impact of IT.
There shall be various incentives to lure companies to the region. Already we
have attracted a number of big names in the manufacturing sector. We hope to
replicate this model in IT too. The North Eastern Development Finance (NEDFi)
Corp recently inaugurated the IT Park in Guwahati housing DSS Mobile–one of
the leading names in the domestic call center business. This was a red-letter
day for us. Just a year ago, it was difficult to imagine Guwahati having a call
center. The Ministry of Development of North East (DONER) is planning a two-day
conference of chief ministers from North East India to hardsell the business
opportunity in the region.
l The
insurgency problem, which is essentially economic in nature, has not been
addressed by politicians effectively. While experts have been harping on the
huge employment opportunity in IT-enabled services, what has taken the political
leadership done to leverage this advantage?
It is a vicious circle. Today, economic development is stunted because of
insurgency. But I cannot wait for peace. The process of economic development has
to start now. Peace initiatives and economic development have to carry on
simultaneously. We have to change the mindset of the people. In the recent past,
we have seen a lot of encouraging signals from the private sector.
l What are
your plans for using IT in education?
IT literacy in schools will be driven by the government in collaboration
with the private sector and NGOs. But when it comes to setting a timeframe, we
have to be realistic and cannot compete with the advanced states.
l What is your
take on the ban on cellular services in the region by security agencies?
The ban is on mobile communication across the state barring the cities of
Guwahati and Shillong. We are unhappy with the ban and have taken up the matter
with the Government.
Balaka Baruah Aggarwal in New Delhi