The draft IT policy for Punjab has been ready for seven months, but things haven?t moved ahead because the state is yet to come out with its industrial policy.
The IT policy will be part of the industrial policy of Punjab. The state government, which has gone all-out to promote the IT industry in the state and has proposed various incentives to this end, has failed to present a clear policy to investors.
Talking to FE, director of Punjab Infotech, RK Verma, said, ?We had submitted the draft IT policy, in which many new incentives were proposed, around seven months ago. The state Cabinet approval is awaited.?
Principal secretary, industries and commerce department, SS Channy said, ?The draft of the industrial policy is ready and it is expected to the get the clearance of the Cabinet soon.?
According to an official of Punjab Infotech, the new policy may exempt IT companies from zoning regulations. ?We have taken the idea of exempting IT companies from zoning regulations from the government of Andhra Pradesh which had introduced this incentive in 2001 to promote the IT industry. Finding it lucrative, it re-announced the exemption in its 2006 policy,? a senior official said.
The new IT policy also promises to increase the floor area ratio (FAR) from 1.3 to 3. FAR is the ratio of total floor area of built up space to the area of the land plot.
The proposal offers land free to the IT industry, if it promises to create adequate employment opportunities in the state, has been rejected by the state Cabinet. Punjab has a small presence on the IT map of the country.