Question : SETTING UP OF IT PARKS

(a) whether there is any proposal to set up IT related industries/parks in various States including Jharkhand and Odisha to promote Information Technology;

(b) if so, the details thereof along with the investment likely to be made in this regard, State-wise;

(c) whether any time limit has been fixed for this purpose;

(d) whether the Government has received any proposal from Odisha for setting up Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) in Bhubaneswar; and

(e) if so, the current status of the project?

MINISTER FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) to (c): Software Technology Parks of India(STPI), an Autonomous Society under the Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY) is engaged in the promotion and development of Information Technology (IT) and Infor- mation Technology enabled Services. STPI has set up 53 centres across the country. The State-wise list of STPI centres including those located in the States of Jhar- khand and Odisha are at Annexure. As per the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), Software Technology Park complexes can be set up by Central Government, State Government, Public or Private Sector Undertakings or any combination thereof, duly approved by Inter Ministerial Standing Committee (IMSC) in Ministry of Communications & Information Tech- nology, Department of Electronics & Information Technology. The STP complexes are meant for use by STP registered units for export of software.

(d) and (e): The Government of Odisha had submitted a proposal to set up Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR) near Bhubaneshwar. This proposal has been considered by the Competent Authority and it has been decided to re-examine comprehensively the Information Technology Investment Region Policy Resolution 2008, in the light of the experience gained over time.