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IT, the Peacemaker

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DQI Bureau
New Update

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

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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

GOGOI:
Setting

sights on a new era of development

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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.

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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

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