Sikkim’s IT plans unveiled at SIKITEX 2011

MELLI-DARA PANCHAYAT PRESIDENT GK RAI CONFERRED “SIKITEX IT PERSON OF THE YEAR 2011”
ANUSHA GURUNGGANGTOK, 24 Nov: SIKITEX-2011, IT Exhibition and Conference, was inaugurated by the Speaker, Sikkim Legislative Assembly, KT Gyaltsen, here at Chintan Bhawan today. The two-day event is being held on the theme, “education and health technologies”, and has been organized by the Department of Information Technology for the third consecutive year.
The venue has a total of 50 stalls by different IT-related companies from across the country, including few from Sikkim, and also from Nepal and Hong Kong displaying their products. Likewise, the event has incorporated a state-level consultation workshop on e-governance organized by the Ministry of Information Technology in association with NASSCOM.
In the inaugural session, Panchayat president of Melli-Dara GPU, Ganesh Kumar Rai, was conferred with the SIKITEX IT Person of the Year 2011 Award.
In his inaugural address, the Speaker mentioned that in the age of globalization, information with speed and accuracy is an instrument of power. He urged students and youth to set their mindset to receive the correct form of information.
Mr Gyaltsen mentioned that information facilitated public participation in public affairs and ensured people their democratic rights and public empowerment. He stressed that people have the constitutional right to be informed and for the same, Information Technology can play a vital role to ensure the rights of the people.
The Speaker mentioned that the state government under the leadership of the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, has made all possible efforts and adopted IT as a tool in all sectors for the betterment of the people of Sikkim. He stated that all these efforts of the government would make Sikkim an IT hub in the near future.
He also urged the students and youth to take full advantage of the event by deriving useful knowledge from this event. While congratulating Ganesh Kumar Rai for receiving the award, the Speaker encouraged other panchayats to take inspiration from Melli-Dara GPU.
In his address, IT Minister, NK Pradhan, mentioned that the state government while giving utmost importance to Information Technology wants to empower citizens through e-governance and make Sikkim the favorite IT destination.
He further mentioned that the government was facilitating income and employment generation in the private sector and IT tools are being used to bring about efficiency in administration.
He added that through various capacity building and training and also introducing information technology as a subject in schools, Sikkim is on the threshold of becoming a totally computer literate state in another few years.
The Minister informed that to meet its objectives, the government has established the State Wide Area Network, the State Data Centre and Common Service Centres with the help of the central government.
He further mentioned that other projects like Integrated Land Management and administrative planning (ILMAP), Treasury on-line are also being implemented.
“The Departments of Rural Development, Election, Elections, Land Revenue, Commercial Tax with the help of NIC are implementing various IT related projects.  Then we also have some champion driven successful IT projects in the state like the one in Melli Dara GPU which lend themselves to being replicated in other parts of the state,” he informed.  
However, Mr Pradhan mentioned that for the implementation of the above projects to be successful the state requires a robust and reliable telecommunication network which as of now is far from satisfactory.
Highlighting the importance of connectivity he said that the earthquake of 18 September brought to the fore the weaknesses in telecommunication and there was no communication to North Sikkim for days together and even two months after the earthquake, internet connection at Chungthang, which is the subdivisional headquarter of North Sikkim, continues to be non-functional. 
Mr Pradhan stressed that the Department of Telecommunication Government of India should work towards giving high capacity microwave at the Sub division level and if possible even at the block level. 
The Minister further added that Direct Satellite Phone Terminals should be installed at locations which cannot be serviced by terrestrial links. He informed that the State Government has approved allotment of 25 acres of land for setting up of a state-of-the-art IT park at Pakyong adjoining the upcoming airport, which would have a modern and spacious Convention and Exhibition Centre where organisations from India and abroad can hold workshops and seminars and it would play a role in promoting conference tourism in Sikkim.
“We are also grateful to the Government of India for approving a Regional Institute of e-learning and Information Technology of DOEACC at an estimated cost of Rs 35 crores. We also intend to establish this Centre at Pakyong,” he expressed.
Mr Pradhan also mentioned that the state has formulated a roadmap for the next ten years to make Sikkim a completely knowledge-based society, issuing smart cards to each and every citizen in the state, making internet available to every household and making all transactions in the state cashless.
He also highlighted that the plan also includes a total paperless environment in the administration, all natural and manmade features would be mapped through GIS and the rich biodiversity and the old heritage records in monasteries would be inventoried and others.
Mr Pradhan also highlighted that with rapid modernization taking place in the state, there was an immense demand for new technologies both in the Government as well as the private sector.
On the same, he added that there was also a need to network the local entrepreneurs with big IT companies so that they can set up investments in the state and expressed his hope that the two-day IT exhibition SIKITEX will surely address these issues.
In the inaugural address, Joint Director Department of IT, GoI, Dr Ajay Kumar, presented his keynote address on Citizen Centre e-government. Likewise, representative from Accenture Services Limited and Centre for Development of Advance Computing, Kolkata, also addressed the inaugural function.
Earlier, the inaugural function started with the welcome address by the IT Secretary, KK Pradhan and concluded with the vote of thanks by the IT Principal Director, Rajesh Verma.