SHILLONG, NOV 7: Meghalaya Information & Technology department is waiting for the state government approval to finalise the financial modeling of the Rs 600 crore IT Park to be located at Mawdiangdiang in the New Shillong Township.
Addressing newsmen after a meeting convened by the IT minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Monday, Commissioner & Secretary DP Wahlang said, “We are waiting for the state government approval.”
Wahlang informed that it is upto the state government to decide as to who should to put Rs 600 crore for the IT Park. He said, “Whether it will be the state government or partnership with industries, PPP model or hybrid model – that call has to be taken by the state government.”
The IT Park which has been christened as Technology Park was first envisaged three years ago.
The state government has allotted about 80 acres of space in New Shillong Township for setting up of the Park. Out of this, 10 acres of the space has now been allotted to NEILIT for setting up a training institute.
Wahlang informed that Acentia has been preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR), which is more or less ready now.
To a query, Wahlang said, “We are looking at an estimate of about Rs 560 to Rs 600 crores as of today but that will depend on other issues also. We only have to choose the financial model on how to go ahead on setting up this IT Park.”
Wahlang added that once that happen the department will for the industries and road shows and tell them this is what the department plans to do and invite partners to come and partner for setting up the IT Park.
Stating that setting up of the IT park is not simple but complicated, Wahlang said, “We have to compete with the established metros.”
With regard to the government’s move to provide public WiFi facilities in Shillong and Tura, Wahlang lamented on the failure of service operators, including BSNL, to participate in the tendering process.
“We have gone ahead with the tendering of the public WiFi in Shillong and Tura but unfortunately we have only one response which came from Airtel. So we are stuck because the financial rules of the state doesn’t allow us to open the financial bid of only one tender.”
Wahlang claimed that the reason for non-participation of the other service operators is not known to him. He said, “Now we are looking at whether we retender or keep on hold or have some MoU with somebody.”
Wahlang said that the WiFI is free of cost for 20 minutes and after that if people still want to access then they’ll have to buy coupons even as he added that the estimates for providing WiFi facilities was Rs 4 crore per annum.
Meanwhile, the IT department is also launching the second phase of the Common Service Centres (CSCs) from 225 to 1000. Earlier when the CSCs were launched in 2009-10, the number of CSCs was reduced to 225 from the proposed number of 1664.
Stating that Meghalaya is a unique state, Wahalng said it is the only state in the whole of NE and eastern region in which the partner in the CSC they did not ask for any financial help from the state – it was zero bid as the state did not have to spend any money for setting up CSCs as it was done by private partners.
In other states like Nagaland, the state government has to support about Rs 6000 per CSC per month and the amount is huge as it runs into crores per year.-By Our Reporter
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