EEven as the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, who is also the Information and Technology Minister, has committed that the IT policy will be finalised by the end of December, sceptics in the IT sector are waiting with bated breath on whether the policy will actually see the light of day. Winter session of the State Legislative Assembly begins on January 7, 2016 and for the IT community in Goa, it is ‘do or die’ and ‘now or never’ situation.
Goa’s BJP government had promised in its manifesto in 2012 that (a) IT sector will be reviewed and revamped in consultation with IT
Experts (b) IT Parks/Habitats to be developed at district level and (c) Free wi-fi connectivity will be made available in all higher educational institutions and wifi zones to be created at various public spaces and business hubs. None of these promises has been fulfilled in the past three years of its governance.
Goa has given a try to frame its IT Policy at least four times (1998, 2005, 2010 and 2015) and yet it has never seen it operational. Pressure has now mounted on the government to speed up their work and leave behind the lackadaisical attitude. The heat is generated because hardly 10 per cent of over 2500 of the Goans who get professional degree and diploma from various educational institutes in the State, get jobs in Goa. Adding further fuel to this fire are the start-ups in the State which as of now is about 220 in number.
Questions are being raised by various IT professionals on why Goa’s IT Policy of 2005 was scarped and that too after the notification was issued by the official gazette. “People like us had even registered ourselves with the Software Technology Park of Goa (STPAG), but that was it. Nothing happened ever since. Professionals from neighbouring States like Karnataka laugh at us,” said an IT professional.
Member of Goa’s IT Advisory Committee, Nitin Kunkolienkar told Herald, “The Goa government needs to empower people to drive the IT sector. The government must have faith in them and use their wisdom. Since there is no empowerment, decisions are not taken in time as the IT Minister who is also the Chief Minister it actually too busy. A strong dedicated team with a robust leader is the need of the hour to take this forward.”
Herald talked to at least five IT professionals who are keen that the IT sector in Goa should grow and none of them had any iota of information that whether the State government has any allocated budget for the development of IT. “We have no idea. We really do not know if there is any financial provision made for IT development in the State,” said sources. However, all these iterlocuters have shared their vision and expectations from the upcoming IT policy with Herald (see box).
Vice President, Development of Open Destination, Milind Anvekar feels that, “The Goa government is not clear about what it wants to do, but is keen to do something for the IT industry. It is important that government communicates with key stakeholders and investors and comes up with a definite plan of action with set deadlines and timelines.” Open Destination is one of the largest IT companies in Goa building travel solutions and have over 400 employees of which, 95 per cent are Goans.
“It is high time that Goa comes out with their IT Policy of its own as innovation and funding is going out of the State. The government must promote the Goa-based IT companies to ensure that the State becomes a major innovation hub in India. For this, start-ups must be given recognition and space in the upcoming policy,” said Milind Prabhu, CEO of Genora Infotech.
GCCI’s Young Entrepreneur Forum’s (YEF) Chairman, Prajyot Mainkar stated that, “the focus in the IT policy should be on start-ups in Goa by helping them in building up a mature work culture in terms of technology and deliverables. I hope the Goa government come up with their IT policy by early next year which should be a rather an – IT favouring Goa Policy.”
