GUWAHATI, Jan 12— The State Government has decided to formulate a ‘web policy’ in view of the increasing relevance of information technology in governance and development sector. Senior Cabinet Minister in charge of PWD, Sri Sarat Borkataky while inaugurating a computer education centre at Fatasil Ambari areas in the city today, announced that the State Government was focusing on exploiting information technology advantages in governance as well for economic activities in the State despite the constraints at this moment. He announced that a ‘web policy’ was soon going to be announced while the Government was going ahead with its plan to set up a web centre as well as to create a separate directorate for Information Technology in the State. He stated that the ‘web policy’ would be termed at ‘Right of Way Policy’ which will focus on cable laying, computerisation of all government departments, training of manpower etc.
The Minister informed that the State government needed Rs 375 crore during the five-year plan 2002-2007 to achieve the goal of application of information technology in governance in order to improve efficiency of public assets and proper utilisation of funds in various central and State projects, inculcate efficiency in fund mobilisation mechanism and plan formulation and keep effective tab on public spending. The Minister further stated that the State Government was looking forward for the urgent initiative from Government of India for setting up 219 block level community information centres in the State to extend the facilities of information technology revolution to rural masses. He, however, regretted that the State was lagging far behind in connecting all the districts through the Internet in absence of adequate bandwidth and due to redundant telecommunication network in the State. He stated that the State Government would take up these lacunae with concerned Central authorities while laying stress on development of a large pool of IT-friendly human resources in the State.