MUMBAI, JAN 13: The Maharashtra government expects nearly one lakh jobs to be generated statewide in the next two years in the field of Information Technology (IT).Prakash Javdekar, chairman of the IT task force set up recently by the state government, today told mediapersons at Mantralaya that the government was working towards making Maharashtra the `best connectivity state' to attract investment by international IT industries.Javdekar said investment in the state's IT sector would generate direct employment for about one lakh youths and indirect employment for thousands.``Apart from the three existing earth stations - two in Mumbai and one in Pune - three new earth stations will soon be set up in different regions of Maharashtra,' Javdekar said.The existing V-SAT link which is already operational in all 321 talukas in the state will be used for the IT sector, he added. The optical fibre network set up by government bodies like the Railways, Department of Telecommunication and the Maharashtra State Electricity Board will also be utilised for accelerating connectivity in the state, the task force chairman said, promising that once geared up, ``these three aspects will make Maharashtra the best place for IT industry.''The government will provide guaranteed electricity for 24 hours a day to all infotech parks being set up in Mumbai, Thane, Pune and Nagpur, he said. Investors will be encouraged to set up IT industries in residential areas as well.The task force has invited suggestions to enable IT development in the state to be ``complete in all aspects''.Javdekar urged industrialists, experts and others connected with the IT industry to send in their suggestions within ten days. ``Citizens can visit the state government's own website at Maharashtra.gov.in and e-mail their suggestions. The website will be ready by January 14,'' Javdekar said.He said the government was committed to introducing computer education in school and college curricula. The government provides low-interest loans to government employees for buying personal computers. Training programmes are also being conducted for them, Javdekar added.The first meeting of task force members will be held in Mumbai on January 25, 1999 and will be attended by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi.The members of the Task Force include Tata Consultancy Services vice-president Fakirchand Kohli, president of the Pune-based ATH Corporation Dr Vijay Bhatkar, head of the Computer Science department of Vishweshwarayya Regional College of Engineering, Nagpur, Dr S V Moghe, Director of Aurangabad Telematic Engineers, Prashant Pol, Mahindra British Telecom CEO Kiran Deshpande, member of the Union IT Task Force Sidhindra Kulkarni, Chief Secretary P Subramaniam, and Principal Secretary (Finance and Planning) Ravi Buddhiraja.
