IT park in State...What about infrastructure? BY HERALD REPORTER PANJIM, JAN 30 - Quite a few parameters need to be in place before Goa can attract IT companies to set up base in the State. The two major IT projects as suggested by the Minister of IT, Dayanand Narvekar earlier include IT Habitat at Dona Paula covering an area of 70 acres and IT (knowledge) Park at Socorro which will cover approximately 300 acres. It is learnt that only IT software and BPO centres will be allowed to set base at the IT Habitat at Dona Paula. Hardware manufacturing units will not have room at Dona Paula keeping in mind that it is a residential area and manufacturing units would not be suitable because of noise pollution and other environment factors. While the IT Park proposed on Communidade land along Socorro-Salvador do Mundo ecologically fragile hill, would be open to all types of IT companies including IT software, BPO as well as hardware units.
No doubt that after a long wait, the government took the initiative to put in place the IT policy in November 2005. However, the Info Tech Corporation of Goa (ITCG) which is in-charge of setting up the infrastructure at the IT Habitat, is not yet confident enough to mention how many IT companies have formally approached the ITCG to set up their base here. Manguirish Pai Raikar, treasurer of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) opined that IT companies would not be interested only if they are shown land. It is the infrastructure that attracts the IT industry according to Raikar. However, sources from the ITCG were hesitant to mention the time it would take to set up the infrastructure. The Managing Director of the ITCG, S R Shet said that at present the ITCG is working on the cost of the infrastructure. Schemes have to be formulated and depending on the master plan details will be drawn according to Shet. According to Shet, infrastructure in terms of high quality power, which is stable, a high bandwidth communication as well as other factors such as water and sanitation, are required to be in place. "We have given the electricity department, water works department and also communication network agencies a time frame to provide their services", he said.
