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West Bengal set to sign deal with Microsoft

Krittivas Mukherjee in Calcutta

Shedding its bias against information technology, West Bengal's Communist government will soon sign a deal with Microsoft to get its ambitious e-governance project off the ground.

Official sources said an agreement with Microsoft is scheduled to be signed in Calcutta on August 16 for which representatives from the American company will reach here soon.

Under the e-governance project for which the software giant will provide platform and application, all the state's 18 districts will be linked with the secretariat here through a single computer network.

The IT monolith will also frame a comprehensive package on developing the state's work culture and train instructors who will then teach in schools and IT institutes.

Once opposed to technology and computers as being "anti-poor," the Communists have made an about-turn after realizing the indispensability of IT. They are now wooing all the big names in the industry to either set up business ventures or to help the government build a platform and provide application.

The government has also approached IBM, Wipro, NIIT and Tata Infotech for various other projects and in fact signed deals with some of the companies.

IT Minister Manab Mukherjee admitted that the new age of computers and IT had dawned on West Bengal. "We are aiming to reach the benefits of IT to the masses," he had said.

The government is hiring the services of tech firms to raise the infrastructure for teaching computers in schools.

In March, chief secretary Manish Gupta participated in the Microsoft-organized three-day World Government Leaders' Conference held at Seattle, US, during which he had initiated talks for the projects in the state.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya told reporters that as part of the government's continuing thrust on IT, 100 acres of land had been earmarked in the Rajarhat township for the IT industry. Altogether 54 firms had sought land to set up ventures in the state.

The e-governance project envisages connecting the 18 districts through satellite links to enable the district administrations to not only hold telephonic conferences, but also videoconferences with the chief minister and a few other selected ministers in Calcutta during times of emergency.

"The move will not only save time and ensure prompt action but also save expenditure on travel, etc," Mukherjee said.

The government's computerization program will be implemented in two phases.

First, district headquarters would be brought under the satellite network with computerisation of the offices in these districts and the secretariat at Calcutta, known as Writers' Buildings, at a cost of Rs 50 million.

The districts would be connected with the secretariat through a digital intelligent exchange based on the Wide Area Network technology.

The various departments within the secretariat would be connected through local area network system, the IT minister said.

Some selected departments would also be provided with electronic mail facilities, and a data bank base would be set up, which could be accessed to get official information.

The districts will be connected on WAN with the chief minister, the industry minister, the finance minister, the irrigation and relief minister, the health minister, the chief secretary and the director general of police.

The LAN would also be under the control of 100 selected officials of various departments. The government has plans of extending the facility to more officials. Besides networking between the key departments, all other departments would be computerised.

The government is also encouraging private IT businesses, with Wipro, which has chosen to make substantial investments in the state, providing technical expertise for setting up of a state-of-the-art call center in the city.

Microsoft may also set up a production facility in the state.

Indo-Asian News Service

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