Panaji, Aug 29 (TNN): The central government has promised to look into and find solutions to Goa's problems in attracting IT industry into the state vis-a-vis the lack of exemptions in customs duties, income tax and other tax holidays required by IT industries.
Deputy chief minister Francis D'Souza who returned from Delhi after attending the all-India IT minister's conference presided over by the Union communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, told TOI that Prasad has assured them to look into Goa's problems.
But during a one-on-one meeting with Prasad, D'Souza said he informed the Union minister of Goa's inability to attract the IT industry. But Prasad assured to look into Goa's problems and revert.
D'Souza will meet Prasad again in Delhi soon to pursue Goa's other IT projects of launching electronic surveillance in the state and also the e-health project. The surveillance project involved installation of CCTV cameras at sensitive locations all over the state with an aim to curb crime. The e-health project relates to connecting all hospitals in the state through a computer network for better co-ordination of health services. Both projects will depend heavily on high speed Broadband connectivity, D'Souza said.
Prasad held the meeting of all-India IT ministers to discuss the road-map for implementing the central government's over 1 lakh crore 'Digital India' programme.
D'Souza said that Prasad impressed upon the IT ministers the need to bring broadband connectivity to all parts of rural India. This is because, of the over 2,50,000 villages in India, over 55,000 villages still do not have connectivity. Prasad called upon the IT ministers to help realize the Prime Minister's dream of ushering in an electronic revolution. Presently, India imports electronic goods worth $4 billion every year in terms of televisions, laptops, telephones, and all these can be made in India. Prasad assured the state IT ministers full support to promote IT industries and said that the centre will give 50-crore for setting up electronic industries and a subsidy of 25% for capital investments with no upper limit on the investments. Prasad urged the ministers to facilitate single window clearances to industries in order to dispel the image of India as an investment unfriendly country.