Tamil Nadu - Salem   

`Combo' scheme to woo IT firms

Special Correspondent

SALEM: To woo Information Technology (IT) firms to Tier - II cities to avoid a lop-sided development in the IT industry in the State, the Tamil Nadu Government has decided to offer an attractive `Combo' scheme. Under the scheme those who come forward to promote one million square feat in IT parks in Tier II cities would be given 10 acres of land in the high premium Special Economic Zone (SEZ) of Sholingar near Chennai.

Disclosing this here to reporters on Thursday ELCOT Managing Director C. Uma Shankar said the Government was keen to develop IT parks in Tier II cities of Salem, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Trichy and Hosur apart from Chennai. "An IT major has already evinced keen interest in this `Combo' offer by coming forward to develop the site at the IT park in a Tier II city," he said. This way a uniform development could be ensured in both Tier II cities and in Chennai in the state's IT industry, he said.

The State also after establishing the parks would be initiating steps to convert them into SEZs in coordination with the Union Government. Saying that the government had been identifying only `porombok' lands for setting up these parks, there would not be any hitch in land acquisition process. "In fact the District Collectors of Tier II cities have already identified lands and are on the verge of transferring them to the operating agency, ELCOT for the development," he said.

Pointing out that the lands in Coimbatore IT Park, like Chennai, had attracted big players. The contentious issues that plagued the Coimbatore Park would be sorted out amicably. The land for Salem IT Park was adequate where `Campus-type' and "Tower-type" Park could be established on the lines of Tidal Park.

Once the lands were transferred to the ELCOT it would ask its research officers of each park to submit their reports concerning the industry and its prospects with specific reference to the region. "This will form the base inputs for whether the particular IT park could be converted into a SEZ or not in future," he said.

He would visit all Tier II cities and submit a report. He was here to inspect the 100 acres identified for the Salem IT Park.

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