Pradeep Bhatia

Information is indeed the biggest power today. Only the one who has information can stay put in the present-day global competition. Keeping in view the importance of dissemination of information, work on Information Technology is being done at a quick pace in Madhya Pradesh. A separate Information Technology Department has been set up in the state for development of information technology so that people of Madhya Pradesh can avail of its all round benefit. Madhya Pradesh is one of the leading states in the use of information technology in the interest of common man.

This department is discharging the duty mainly as a guide consultant and works in the area of policymaking. The department is giving various advices and suggestions about increasing e-governance, assistance and coordination in the projects made for use of information technology in civil services, setting up of Technology Park for computers and hardware park related to industrial centres, encouragement to public participation in setting up of communication appliances and equipment related to information technology, information system based on internet.

Till four years ago there was virtually no attraction towards Information Technology in Madhya Pradesh. As there was lack of appropriate policy by the government, therefore the investors were also not attracted towards the state. In such circumstances, the new Information Technology Policy was formulated in the year 2006. After this infrastructure developers and Information Technology companies have shown great interest in the state. Central government has given SEZ status to three projects of Software Technology Parks in Madhya Pradesh.

The Information Technology Department has been allotted 212.63 acre land in village Badwai in Bhopal for raising Information Technology Park. SEZ would be constructed on 180-acre land with the help of private investors. In Gwalior, 138.14-hectare government land has been allotted near Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management for Software Technology Park where SEZ would be developed on 40 acre land by private investors. Rest of the land would be allotted directly to various companies. In Jabalpur, 90 acre land is reserved in Purba village for SEZ.

For all the above three projects Request for Qualification documents have been released. The department is making efforts that the process gets underway by the month of October next year. Application has been forwarded to the Union government for environment-related approval of the projects.

Out of the land reserved for Software Technology Park in Bhopal, 10 acre and five acre land has been allotted respectively to Netlink Software Private Limited and Compact Disk India Limited on concessional rates.

Apart from these three companies, other companies have also shown interest in developing IT Park in Madhya Pradesh. These companies include Genpact India, Pasharvanath Developers Limited, Medicaps IT Park Pvt. Ltd., Writers and Publishers Ltd and Zoom Developers. The work of Crystal IT Park has begun in Indore .

Fifteen MoUs to the tune of  Rs 6557 crore were signed at Investors’ Summits held at Khajuraho and Indore . The MoUs include Rs 150 crore for BPO with Genpact, Rs 250 crore for IT SEZ with Amrapali, Rs 2100 crore for IT SEZ with Pasharvanath, Rs 275 crore for IT Park with Cientiv (Finland), Rs 25 crore for software development with Tech Mahindra, Rs 150 crore for BPO with First Source, Rs 200 crore with

Impetus, Rs 50 crore with Jaysons Ltd, Rs 470 crore for IT SEZ with Malwa IT Park, Rs 400 crore for IT SEZ with Phoenix, Rs 470 crore for IT SEZ with KJ Constructions, Rs 717 crore for IT SEZ with Shri Venkatesh Softech Private Limited, Rs 1200 crore for IT SEZ with Maan Industries and Rs 100 crore for IT SEZ with Orange Infrastructure Ltd.

It may be mentioned here that after the launch of these projects Madhya Pradesh would witness a rapid increase and revolution in the fields of Information Technology, education and industries and engineers from Madhya Pradesh would get attractive pay packages. It would definitely boost the economy of the state.

Information Technology is being utilized on several levels for carrying out people-oriented works and to solve their various problems. As a result of these achievements, Madhya Pradesh has been bestowed with CSI Nihilent Award-2006-07 recently. At a programme held at Bangalore, Madhya Pradesh was given three awards. Indiatech Excellence Award was also bagged by the state at Mumbai. The Cyber Treasury System of Madhya Pradesh and .Mandi computerisation have been given Golden Icon award. The Third Excellent State Award also came into the kitty of Madhya Pradesh for doing remarkable work by Data Quest. Madhya Pradesh’s name has found its way in the Limca Book of Records for maximum use of video conferencing in government works.

Apart from providing facilities to investors to establish industries in Information Technology sector in Madhya Pradesh, the state government is also encouraging more and more use of Information Technology for administrative works related to common man.  

Rs 120 crore has been allocated to Madhya Pradesh by the Union government for State Wide Area Network (SWAN) Project. Under this project all the block headquarters would be linked with their district headquarters and district headquarters with their divisional headquarters. The proposed High Quality Network of the state would be used to transfer the data of government schemes and projects. Under the project 80 out of 340 Point of Presence (POP) buildings’ construction has been completed. Software Technology Park of India are the consultants of this project. Department is trying to complete the selection process at the earliest. 

The Government of India had allocated Rs 1.30 crore to Madhya Pradesh under its National E-governance Plan (NEGP). For implementing this scheme Three Eye Infotech has been selected. India's famous companies had taken part in the tendering of this project.

In deference to the directions of the Union government, a roadmap of e-governance in Madhya Pradesh and its blueprint has been prepared by Messrs Earnest and Young which has been approved by the state government and sent to government of India for its clearance. Computer training and capacity building in the departments selected according to the roadmap would be started after receiving approval from the Union government.

Under the same project state government's 24 ministers, 15 IAS officers and 30 CEO\Deputy CEO were trained in e-governance at Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business Management with the cooperation of National Institute of Smart Governance.

Under the National E-Governance Plan, 9,232 Common Service Centres (E-Kiosks) would be established in Madhya Pradesh. For the implementation of this scheme, Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation has been appointed as the state-level agency. Ensuring e-administration at these e-Kiosks, general public would be provided information through high-resolve and high-quality video, various data, e-governance, education, health etc.

About 16,000 persons are likely to get direct employment through this scheme in the state. Tenders for this scheme have been floated.

Now all the treasury-related work in the treasuries and sub-treasuries is being done by computers. A network has been evolved to inter-connect all these computers. This project was given Golden Icon Award 2007 at the National E-Governance Conference held recently at Bhopal. In the Regional Transport Offices computer-based Smart Card Scheme has been introduced.

At the Mantralay and all districts Video Conferencing Studios, Data Centres and PGR have been established. Using these facilities, departments can take prompt action about their schemes with the help of direct give and take of information. This facility is operative at present at the Mantralay and 46 other places. The efforts to establish Video Conference Studio in rest of the two districts-Damoh and Neemuch is underway.

The orders to implement Electronic Tendering Scheme in issuing government tenders were passed on September 7, 2006 in deference to which e-tendering has been started in the state. Messrs Wipro has implemented this scheme. The work to this company has been assigned on the basis of BOOT (Build, On, Operate and Transfer).

This is why the state government is not bearing any financial burden due to implementation of the scheme. A web site has been developed for making purchases by all the government departments. Through the e-tendering schemes Narmada Valley Development Authority, Public Works Department, Energy Department and other departs have started floating tenders. The department has sent letters to other departments also to start e-tendering.

A Computer Centre has been established for training Mantralaya officers\employees in handling computers so that works can be expedited and their quality can be improved.

A portal named as www.mponline.gov.in has been launched to facilitate citizens living in remote areas so that they are not forced to visit offices for their various works. Admission forms of vocational exams are also issued from this site. Through e-kiosks people are being provided information and various forms also. A software has already been developed to make available electricity bills and payment thereof and application forms of Public Service Commission tests.

A scheme was chalked to inter-connect Mandis which is knows as e-krishi vipinan. This scheme is under implementation successfully at 64 places. The scheme is being extended to all the districts of the state.