Kerala CM to project state as `most IT-ready'

Aswathy V

Following the footsteps of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, the Chief Minister of Kerala himself will now take the initiative to project the state as the `most IT-ready state'. As a first step, a delegation led by State Chief Minister AK Antony and IT Minister PK Kunhalikutty will visit Delhi on 16 December to meet officials of
Nasscom.

Unveiling the new IT policy of the state, State IT Minister PK Kunhalikutty said that another delegation led by State IT Secretary Aruna Sundarrajan would be meeting the captains of IT enabled services industry in the country to persuade them to invest in Kerala. This includes IT enabled services companies such as GE Capital, American Express and professional bodies like CII and MAIT. The IT policy has several firsts to its credit like incentives for providing more employment in the IT sector, providing fresh incentives for the development of private technology parks in the state, Kunhalikutty added.

Antony expressed the hope that with the unveiling of the new policy, Kerala will regain lost ground in the electronics and IT sectors.

Announcing the policy, Antony said that Kerala is the first state to make special provisions for part-time employment in IT industry, to make special provisions for tele-commuting and prohibit direct and indirect child labor in IT industry. Kerala is the also the first state to implement the core recommendations on labor regulatory framework for the IT industry made by the Planning Commission.

As a follow up measure to the unveiling of the new policy, the State Government and IT department would undertake global marketing initiatives by conducting roadshows and awareness campaigns, Kunhalikuttty added. The IT department will set up a customer facilitation cell to facilitate the initial entry phase of business in to the state. The services of the cell shall include facilitation of single window clearance, including STPI registration and other statutory registrations, expedited import clearance, advising on company formation, setting up procedures and other facilitation as may be necessary.

(CNS)