IMPHAL, July 4: In a boost to the information technology sector in the state, Chief Minister O Ibobi on Saturday inaugurated newly set up IT Park and temporary campus of IIIT Manipur at Mantripukhri.
Speaking on the occasion, Ibobi asserted that with the inauguration of the two institutions, the people of the state are two steps closer to realizing the long cherished dream of establishing a thriving IT industry in Manipur which will generate employment for talented and educated youths and also bring in much needed revenue to the state.
The CM maintained that the state government is observing the celebration of Digital India Week which had started from July 1 and has lined up a number of activities to create awareness of Digital India amongst the public.
“Digital India will create infrastructure for providing convenient online services to the citizens besides bringing in transparency through IT enablement. However, the most important part of Digital India is that each and every citizen of the country will be facilitated to become digitally literate so that we can be country that will take full advantage of the IT revolution that is taking place`™`™, he said.
Maintaining that the IT Park was conceived due to shortage of space in the STPI Imphal Centre which provided a limited amount of IT incubation space to IT entrepreneurs, he said that the IT Park was originally planned to be about 45000 sq ft which will house about 500 persons.
“However, at the time of completion of Phase I with about 20000 sq, the government decided to go ahead with the establishment of an IT SEZ which will house Export oriented Units so that we could bring in Foreign Exchange to the state`™`™, the CM added.
Informing that the first building of the IT SEZ has already been started and it is expected to be completed by March 2016, he said that the IT Park is expected to provide space for about 250 persons and this will be further supplemented by the IT SEZ first building which will provide space for at least 1000 people or more.
Ibobi announced that there will be expansion in the IT SEZ as per feasibility and requirement and that the park will start functioning within July 2015 for which space has already been allocated to five IT entrepreneurs.
The permanent campus of IIIT will be established at Mayangkhang Ningthoupham village in Senapati district, he declared, adding that all the process is underway to acquire the land and other formalities.
The CM also informed that the IIIT Manipur will start admission preferably from this month.
