I-T bug yet to arrive in North East

NEW DELHI, March 16 ? Dawn of a new information technology era in the North East is likely to be hit by fund crunch even in the face of the Ministry of Information Technology?s assertion that the Community Information Centre (CIC) project was on tracks and all of proposed 487 centres in the region were scheduled to be set up by August 15. Implementation of the ambitious CICs Project may be more then just a mouse click away, if the doubts expressed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee attached to IT Ministry, has any substance. The Committee headed by Somnath Chatterjee has pointed out that the funds allocated for the purpose was inadequate. It was questioned as to how 457 CICs could be set up for Rs 57 crore, which was allocated, when the expenditure for establishing 30 CICs in the region in 2000 was Rs 15 crore. ?Although it is a commendable measure, the Committee finds that the fund allocated for new CICs is grossly inadequate,? it remarked. The CIC project which envisages setting up 487 CICs in the entire North East, including Sikkim, at an estimated cost of Rs 220 crore is being implemented in phases, the Ministry clarified, adding that pilot project of setting 30 CICs completed in 2000 involved an expenditure of Rs 15 crore. Based on the experience gained from the pilot project, the next phase was planned for setting up 150 centres in the region involving an expenditure of Rs 67 crore, allocated in 2001-2002. The Ministry has requested for further allocation of Rs 38 crore in order to complete the setting up of 487 CICs by August 15, the Ministry in its reply to the Committee revealed. The pilot project was implemented in record time, and the next stage of the project is likely to be accomplished within the target date, depending, however, upon the prevailing local conditions and other relevant factors, the Ministry claimed. There is also another catch the implementation of the project is also depended upon matching supports from the States. With most of the States in the region in the red, the possibility of them bringing in matching share may be a far cry. It may be recalled here that the Government with much fanfare had announced setting up CICs at 486 blocks selected by the State Governments in all the seven States besides Sikkim for the socio-economic development of the region. The Parliamentary Committee has also taken note of the factor saying that full utilisation of funds for development of CICs is contingent upon the matching support from the State Governments in site preparations among others. Underlining the need not to let the earmarked funds remain unutilised, the Committee while pulling up the Ministry for lack of proper planning, said the department must persuade the State Governments to be ready with their plans for setting up CICs at appropriate sites in advance. Significantly, Assam Government has submitted a separate proposal for IT development with an outlay of Rs 375 crore. The proposal submitted by Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi last month is currently pending with the Planning Commission. It may be mentioned here that already Assam has been sanctioned a Software Technology Park centre to promote exports by setting up infrastructure facilities including high-speed data communication links.