INDIAN STATE : ASSAM

Information Technology Policy 2000

The basic objectives of the Information Technology Policy of Assam shall be:

• Accord primacy for the growth of Information Technology industry in the State
• Accelerate the use of Information Technology at the Government Level with a view to provide better services to the citizens of the state
• Improve productivity and efficiency of the Government services to the citizens of the state
• Serve as an important tool to enhance employability as well as to absorb a major portion of the educated unemployed in the state
• Enable the state reach an eminent position in the Information Technology sector
• Encourage and accelerate the growth of both the domestic and the export oriented IT units in the state and make the state an attractive destination for IT investment within India and abroad
• Encourage and accelerate the use of Information Technology in schools, colleges and educational institutions in the state to enable the youth to acquire necessary skills and knowledge in this sector making them highly employable
• Specialized training institutes in private sector and the joint sector in order to prepare skilled manpower within the existing system;
• Organize Manpower Development Training Programme (MDTP) in the field of Computer Applications for the successful implementation of the Information Technology Policy of Assam.
• Develop appropriate networks between various departments and different spatially spread out administrative hierarchies through well designed database management system; and
• Encourage the spread of IT in the private sector.

Salient features of the policy

The salient features for the Information Technology Policy of Assam shall be:

• The Industry & Commerce Department would function as nodal department for implementation of the IT policy, which would co-ordinate with all the other departments of the Government of Assam in order to ensure that the detailed objectives and goals of the IT Policy are achieved.
• The Government shall endeavor to have connectivity among all its offices within 2004 so that communication can flow through e-mail/ video conferencing etc to enhance productivity. The Government shall endeavor to provide video conferencing & e-mail facilities in all district head quarters to enable communication with the State Secretariat.
• The Government shall endeavor to improve the process of governance so that citizens could file their documents required by the Government electronically. Web applications would be developed in the local language of the State.
• The Government shall endeavor to put in place training programme to enable all government employees to use Information Technology to enhance productivity.
• The Government shall make a special budget allocation of at least 2-3% of the plan fund allocated to the Government departments every year to complete its computerisation programmes in each Department. An IT sub-plan would be formulated department-wise and closely monitored
• The Government shall improve infrastructure such as laying of communication cables for interconnecting the departments, setting up of data transfer exchanges, routers, gateways etc, and ensure reliable power supply, transport system etc to improve the quality of works.
• The Government shall encourage the use of Information Technology in all educational institutions by way of giving special grants every year to enable them to put up the necessary infrastructure.
• The Government shall with the help of the industry start training programmes for teachers to help them use information technology in the teaching process.
• The Government shall endeavor to teach the school level children the use of computers and to impart training through computers.
• The Government shall endeavor to increase the number of college students specialising in Information Technology to meet the needs of the Information Technology industry to cater to both the export and domestic market. The syllabi for specialisation in computer education would be standardized and recognised to make in more relevant. The education department would monitor the placements on offer and make suitable changes in the design of courses according to the needs of the jobs.
• The Government shall strengthen the Assam Electronic Development Corporation Ltd (AEDC Ltd). AEDC will play the role of facilitator and assist various Government departments in selection of appropriate Hardware, Software and training programmes in accordance with their needs.
• For specialised training in emerging areas of Computer and Communication Technology the Government shall consider sponsoring employees of various Government departments, undertakings, autonomous organisations and other non-governmental organisations to institutions situated within or outside the State. All efforts would be made to set-up an autonomous IIIT at Guwahati with assistance from Private sector and Union Government.

Full text of the policy

Thrust Areas

• Petroleum and natural gas based industries
  
• Industries based on locally available minerals
  
• Processing of plantation crops
  
• Food processing industries
  
• Agri-Horticulture products
  
• Herbal products
  
• Biotech products
  
• Pharmaceuticals
  
• Chemical and Plastic based industries
  
• Export oriented industries
  
• Electronic and IT base industries including services sector
  
• Textiles and sericulture
  
• Engineering industries
  
• Cane and bamboo based industries
  
• Other handicrafts industry

Investment Opportunities

IT Sector

• Call centres
  
• GIS services
  
• Back- office processing

Tourism

• Hotels and Resorts
  
• River Cruises
  
• Adventure Tourism
  
• Pilgrim Tourism
  
• Golf Tourism

Agro- Horti & Food Processing Sector

• Export of fruits and vegetables
  
• Spice & aromatic products based unit
  
• Floriculture, medicinal and herbal plants
  
• Agri export zones for orange, joha rice

Promotion Of Bamboo Industries

• Bamboo boards, flooring, furniture
  
• Bamboo corrugated sheets
  
• Construction material

Bio Technology Sector

• Bio- technology park

Investment Incentives

Fiscal incentives under industrial policies

A. Incentives Under North East Industrial Policy

• Capital investment subsidy of 15% on plant and machinery subject to a maximum ceiling of US$ 65,099.89
  
• Subsidy on transportation of raw materials and finished products at the rate of ninety percent ad fifty percent respectively.
  
• Interest subsidy of 3% on working capital loan.
  
• Income tax holiday for a period of five years.

B. Investment Incentives as according to the New Industrial Policy, 2003 of Govt. of Assam

• Capital investment subsidy of 30% on plant and machinery subject to a ceiling of US$ 43,354.21
  
• Interest subsidy at the rate of 30 percent will be provided on the amount of interest paid to banks on working capital loan.
  
• Subsidy at the rate of 50% of the cost of generating power will be provided subject to a ceiling of Rs. ten lakh. (1million)
  
• The fee payable for obtaining BIS/ ISO/FPO/AGMARK certification and fee payable for getting the technical know-how from approved and recognized organizations will be subsidized to the extent of 75% subject to a ceiling of US$ 2168.04
  
• Power subsidy will be provided to the eligible units on the power tariff paid against the actual units consumed for a period of five years subject to a ceiling of certain specified limits.

Other Incentives

• Capital investment subsidy at the rate of 25% of the total project cost under Scheme for Promotion of Industrialization for North-East (SPINE).
  
• Export Development Fund for development of Export oriented projects.
  
• Special Capital Investment subsidy from Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India.