News -- Goa: State Going for IT in a Big Way - Policy Document Adopted
from Rupesh Samant in Panaji for Daijiworld News Network - Goa Panaji, Sep 28: Goa government will roll out red carpet for environment friendly Information technology industries in the state. The recently passed IT policy in the state is carved out to woo ITians in the state. In a major boost, the Pratapsingh Rane government has decided to exempt IT entrepreneurs from the purview of labour and environment laws. The state cabinet, which met at the old secretariat on Tuesday, has adopted state’s IT policy document, which envisages four-pronged strategy to promote IT industry in Goa. Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, chief minister Pratapsingh Rane informed that the the IT policy promotes single-window online system to clear IT-related projects. Rane said the policy proposed to exempt IT entrepreneurs from the purview of several labour and factory laws like the Goa Pollution Control Act, Factories Act, Maternity Benefits Act, Control Labour Regulation and Abolition Act, Payment of Wages Act, Minimum Wages Act, the Goa Daman and Diu Shops and Establishment Act. He said the exemption was aimed at providing them with incentives so that Goa could be an IT hub. Replying to a question, ane said the IT industry had odd hours of working and therefore had been spared from bringing under the purview of labour laws. The policy also proposed some incentive for construction of buildings. In a bid to promote e-governance, the policy has proposed to cover entire Goa with optic fibre network. Chief secretary Kiran Dhingra said that if the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd did not take up laying of optic fibre network, the government would go for open tenders for the same. To a question, Dhingra said the spadework on this project was on hand. However, the process of sitting across the table with the BSNL had not been taken place. She said laying of optic cable was aimed at taking the network to ground level and thereby open more centres like mahiti ghars and provide the facility to the people of Goa for having an interface with the government. Dhingra said the incentives would attract pollution-free IT industries in Goa. She observed that Goa could also meet pool of people required for IT sector.
