Bhubaneswar will be Wi-Fi enabled within a year. (Representational Image)
Announcing that Odisha's capital city Bhubaneswar will be Wi-Fi enabled within a year, the state government on Satuday decided to bring an IT procurement policy besides setting up another IIIT and an Electronics and ITC Academy at Bhubaneswar.
The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
"The Chief Minister has directed the IT department to ensure Wi-Fi facility in Bhubaneswar within one year," IT minister Pranab Prakash Das told reporters after the meeting.
Asking the department to expedite work for the proposed Electronics Manufacture Cluster at an investment of Rs 209 crore, Mr Patnaik directed the department to place a proposal in the next cabinet meeting to rename the IT department as the department of Electronics and IT.
The meeting also decided to draw an IT procurement Policy to provide opportunities to local IT industries.
The local units have been complaining about the methods adopted by various government agencies for procurement of IT (information technology) and ITes (enabled services) products.
The IT minister said the government was focusing on creating employment in the IT sector and the state would have more finishing schools in collaboration with private sector.
"There is also an effort to incorporate IT subjects in universities and college curriculum," the minister said, adding, Mr Patnaik has asked to take steps for establishment of another IIIT and an Electronics and ITC Academy.