The group calling itself Goa IT Professionals (GITP) comprise over 8,000 IT professionals from the State, most working in other parts of the country. They said they went through the policy keeping in mind the IT policies of other prominent Indian IT states and how best it would suit Goa.
“A positive and transparent approach and mindset among all stakeholders is essential to successfully achieve Goa’s IT dream in the near future. It is late by 20 years but let us not falter now,” they said in the letter.
Among the recommendations, the group has asked all incentives to be linked to time-bound job creation, encouragement to local units, exemption rather than reimbursement to eliminate delays and grassroots promotion of IT through the IT Anywhere concept.
From the investors side too, the group has asked the government to ensure a company takes accountability and honours their employment generation commitment made at the time of project approval. GITP also stressed on the need to have different policy incentives for local IT companies in addition to a model where companies specialising in developing IT campuses be leased land.
Earlier this week, the group also met with the Department of IT where they discussed the policy in person. “DoIT agreed with GITP’s view on Goa’s unique advantage in already having the minimum required infrastructure for IT industry in most Goan villages and that this advantage should be sustainably leveraged for our village development,” said GITP in their minutes.
They have also asked for the formation of an IT think tank or advisory board comprising of industry visionaries and experts to guide the government in making Goa the preferred IT destination in India.
