INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

14.1       The Government of Jharkhand, recognising the impressive growth of the IT sector in the country, has resolved to make Jharkhand a IT powerhouse and a front runner in the Information revolution. The government considers IT as an agent of transformation of every facet of human life which will bring about a knowledge based society.

14.2            The policy is aimed at accomplishing the following basic objectives:

14.2.1      Info-Infrastructure Drive: Accelerate the drive for setting up a world class Info-Infrastructure with  an extensive spread of Fibre Optic Network, Satcom networks and Wireless networks for seamlessly interconnecting the Local Informatics Infrastructure (LII), National Informatics Infrastructure (NII) and the Global Informatics Infrastructure (GII) to ensure a fast nation-wide onset of the INTERNET, EXTRANETs and INTRANETs.

14.2.2        With India’s potential to achieve $50 billion dollar of IT exports by 2008, policy ambiance will be created for Jharkhand IT industry to target for a $ 5 billion annual export by the year 2010.

14.2.3        IT for all by 2010: Accelerate the rate of computer penetration in the state so that it reaches a penetration of one per 50 people by the year 2010. Towards the goal of IT for all by 2010, policies are provided for setting the base for a rapid spread of IT awareness among the citizens, propagation of IT literacy, networked Government, IT-led economic development, rural penetration of IT applications, training citizens in the use of day-to-day IT services like tele-banking, tele-medicine, tele-education, tele-documents transfer, tele-library, tele-info-centres, electronic commerce, public call centres, among others; and training, qualitatively and quantitatively, world class IT professionals.

14.2.4      Coordinate with all Central Government and private agencies involved in putting together the Info-Infrastructure in Jharkhand and actively put supplementary connectivity to the last mile. Requests made by  STPs would be acted on within two weeks of receipt. In this regard, any renovation or construction of State Highways, new power transmission lines and new township development projects would look into the possibility of adding Optical Fibre network in these projects.

14.2.5        To provide Info Infrastructure to all areas with access to power within a period of 2 years.

14.2.6        To deliver e-governance, computerise the secretariat functioning within 2 years and allocate at least 2% of the departmental budget for IT related development.

14.2.7        To create a network right down to the block  level administration within 2 years and bring the village level e-governance by 2005.

14.2.8.    Promote  ‘IT Habitats’ in the rural hinterland adjacent to cities with modern telecom and communications infrastructure along with top class educational/research institutions.

14.2.9      Create a Centre of excellence like IIIT in and around Ranchi and Regional Engineering Colleges through private participation.

14.2.10    Government to support all development of IT support services in regional language.

14.3     State Institutes of Public administration would be re-engineered to help bring about IT responsive State administration.

14.4      Suitable floor space in Government buildings, which are not utilised during non-office hours, would be considered to be given to private educational institutions for IT training purposes in return for a proportionate number of free nominations of Government employees for IT training.

14.5      Feasibility of introducing a Citizen ID Number for creation of state wide database will be explored.

14.6      SPECIAL INCENTIVES FOR THE IT INDUSTRY

                      a. Exemption from environmental clearance
                      b. Exemption from zoning regulations for purposes of location
                      c. Self-certification for purposes of compliance of the following Acts:

·   Water and Air Pollution Act

·   Factories Act

·   Employment Exchange (Notification of vacancies) Act

·   Payment of Wages Act

·   Minimum Wages Act

·   Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act

·   Workmen Compensation Act

·   Shops and Establishments Act ; etc.

d. General permission to run a three-shift operation

e. The Government would provide rebate in the cost of land allotted  to an IT Industry @ 0.25% of the cost of land per job created subject to the following conditions :

i)                     The rebate shall be applicable only in respect of land allotted by the Government/IADA with     prospective effect.

ii)                   The rebate shall be restricted to 0.25% of the cost of such land per job created or the cost of the bare land (excluding development charges/cost), whichever is less.

iii)                  The minimum number of employees to be hired by a company in order to avail the concession on land cost shall be fifty (50) .

iv)                  The minimum gross salary/wage for an employment to be considered to have been created would be Rs. 4,000/- per month.

v)                    The period for which such employment would have to be sustained to be eligible  to be reckoned  for this incentive shall be two (2) years.

vi)                  The number of employees to be considered for the purpose of this provision shall not exceed the number arrived at by the following formula operated by the company at the location :

Number of computer workstations at a location x 1.33 x number of shifts                                                                           (of 8 hrs each)

vii)                 The Government shall specify suitable guidelines to ensure that the benefits of this provision reaches a company only after it meets the stipulated conditions regarding job creation and that the employment figures reported are corroborated by other supporting data such as investment, turnover, returns filed with RBI, returns filed with STPI ,Ranchi etc.

f. For establishing IT industries in the existing structures located in the industrial areas under IADA. Concessions will be in the form of rebate on registration charges and stamp duty for sale / lease of such built-up space to the IT industry in the following manner:  

(g)         Similar concessions would also be admissible for establishing IT infrastructure facilities on private/Government land. This concession would be available only for such localities which are notified by the Industries Department and which provide certain minimum facilities like uninterrupted/backup power, reliable telecom links etc.

(h)        This concession would be available only for the first transaction when the first sale by IADA / Other concern is made to an IT industry.

            The above concession would also be available on the purchase of land by an IT Industry establishing an IT park for its own use provided it does not avail the concessions in para 14.6 e.