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Govt. in IT |
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The Chief Minister's Vision 2020 program visualizes Hyderabad as a knowledge hub and seeks to run an electronic
government. And indeed, the
single most important factor in the recent growth in this industry is
credited to the proactive role of the state government. The
effective initiatives taken by the government in the development of industry are multifarious : offering
concessions and incentives, taking an active part in promoting IT, creating a market for
IT applications, and enlarging the use of IT in all spheres of governance.
A very significant aspect of IT growth in the state is the use of IT in the Government.
The government has been taking rapid steps to put into practice e-governance, which has immense
potential for transparency and efficiency. Employment exchanges, District Rural
Development Agencies, and the departments of treasuries and accounts, revenue, transport,
commercial taxes, social welfare and marketing have started using computers extensively.
The department of registration and stamps has pioneered a unique
Computerized
Administration of Registration Department (CARD) project to be launched shortly.
The first sign the technology-friendly government has sent out
is a comprehensive State Home Page on the Net (the first state government
in the country to do so).
The efforts of various government departments to make use of information
technology have led to the increase of the IT market in the state. When the Government with its
voluminous requirements enters a market, the result is an explosive demand-led
market. There is a growing demand for PCs, software packages, printers, modems, UPS
systems, training, support systems, optical fibre connectivity et al.
The motive behind the efforts of various departments is the Andhra Pradesh Technology
Services (APTS). This State government organization endeavors to improve government-citizen
intractability, courtesy IT.
It wants to offer access to information to every citizen on a single backbone network.
The projects
envisaged to achieve this include AP State Wide Area Network (APSWAN) connecting all the
district headquarters with the capital, State Wide Video Conference facility, Secretariat
Campus Network, electronic kiosks and computerization up to the mandal level.
Hyderabad is perceived as an alternative location for many
IT related
firming India and abroad. " The quality of manpower, geographic location, real estate
prices, city infrastructure, and government commitments are some of the factors
favorable
for multinational or companies to start their second operations from Hyderabad" says
Naidu. According to him if companies are heading for Hyderabad and preferring it over
Bangalore and other places, is because the government is creating an infrastructure,
educational system and the market - generating potential to do business. That is why the
industry is convinced that the government means business.
Hyderabad has got a very
positive work culture and there are quite a few IT- related firms in Hyderabad. Dewang
Mehta, executive director, of NASSCOM has announced setting up of their second office in the
city after Delhi. Moreover being one of the larger states with a committed government, and
dedicated services being provided by the government agencies, the HI-TEC City is expected to become the major center for computer technology related
activities in India.
Intelligent Implementation
Government organizations like the
National Informatics Centre and Andhra Pradesh Technology Services (APTS) are pushing
the envelope to make the city and state
customer-friendly. APTS is a state government
undertaking and a trailblazer in the country. It was registered under the
Companies' Act in 1986 and kept under the administrative control of the Finance and Planning
Department. But consequent to the creation of a separate department for Information
and Technology and computers in Finance and Planning in 1997, APTS has been brought under
the administrative control of this department. It identifies areas where services can be
upgraded through the use of IT.
The Objectives
- To provide consultancy services to government departments/agencies in purchase of
computer hardware and other modern office equipment, their maintenance and the
preparation of site for the installation of all such equipment.
- To provide consultancy services for the upgradation of computers and other electronic systems.
- To undertake timely software development appropriate to the needs of user agencies.
- To provide adequate and the right kind of technical services and manpower.
- To ensure maximum spread of computer awareness and provide training to user agencies at various levels.
- Turnkey project implementation and application for software development.
- To undertake feasibility studies to identify applications for software development.
- Fix up of hardware configuration.
- System study, analysis and design.
- Software development, testing, documentation
- Training of user department personnel
- Implementation and manpower support
Govt. unveils package for IT sector
Dated: 14-05-1999
The Andhra Pradesh Government has announced a
package of incentives for the information technology industry to
bring the State abreast of other States such as Tamil Nadu where
such benefits have already been given.
The package, valid for three years, was unveiled by the Revenue
Minister, Mr. T. Devender Goud, on behalf of the Chief Minister,
Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, after a Cabinet meeting here on
Thursday. Rebate in cost of Government lands being allotted to IT
units at the rate of Rs 20,000 for each job created for a person
of Andhra Pradesh origin for an emoluments of Rs 5,000 for a
period not less than two years, and reduction in registration
charges and stamp duty if the unit is planned on private lands,
are among the incentives.
The IT/ IT infrastructure/IT services industry will be exempted
from the purview of the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Act
except in the case of power generation sets. Industrial power
tariff and all other admissible incentives and concessions
applicable to industries will be allowed to IT/IT infrastructure
and IT services units. These three categories have been exempted
from zoning regulations for the purpose of location. The
Government will simplify the compliance- procedures with a self-
certification facility for exemption where possible from the
provisions of the various regulatory Acts and rules.
General permission will be given to the three categories to run
three-shift operations. Those incentives allowed to industries in
general under the Industrial Policy Document 2000 AD will also be
applicable to the IT units. Rebate on cost of the land will be
given at the rate of Rs. 20,000 for job created subject to the
condition that the land is given by the State Government or the
Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation.
It will be restricted to Rs 20,000 per job created or the cost of
the bare land (without development cost) subject to a ceiling of
three acres per 1,000 jobs created. On the areas in excess of
this limit, no concession will be allowed.
The minimum number of employees to be hired by a company in order
to avail itself of the concession on land cost has been fixed at
100. The minimum gross salary for a job considered to have been
created would be Rs. 5,000 per month. The period for which the
such employment would have to be sustained would be two years.
For those IT units coming up on private lands, concessions would
be in the form of rebate on registration and transfer of property
charges and exemption from stamp duty on tapering scale of
sale/lease of built-up space to IT/IT service companies. The
rebate would be 90 per cent for the facilities sold/leased before
April 1, 2000, it would be 70 per cent for those done after this
date but before April 1, 2001, and 50 per cent in the case of
those done after this date. The concessions would be available
only to IT parks notified by the Department of Information
Technology and which would provide minimum facilities like
uninterrupted/backup power, reliable telecom links. Rebate would
be applicable to the combined levy of registration fee stamp duty
and transfer of property duty. No total exemption of stamp duty
would be allowed.
The document made it clear that the concessions would be allowed
only for the first transaction when the IT industry was first
established.
Those IT infrastructure companies coming up outside the limits of
the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad, its nine peripheral
municipalities and Gaddiannaram gram panchayat, relaxation would
be given in the floor space index to the extent of 50 per cent.
For example, if the normal FAR is 1.5, the FAR allowed in such
cases would be 2.25. This would also be subject to the condition
that facilities such as uninterrupted back-up power, reliable
telecom links were ensured. This would not be allowed to those
coming up on lands given by the Government and APIIDC.
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