Gangtok 19th September:The two days information technology exhibition ‘ Sikitex’2009 and first of its kind in the state began form 17th September and concluded yesterday evening . The exhibition was graced and inaugurated by the Governor of Sikkim, BP Singh along with the Minister NK Pradhan, chief secretary TT Dorjee and all the secretaries concerning their respective department, under the government of Sikkim were present. On the inauguration program the governor welcomed all the IT? companies part taking in the exhibition, after his visit to all the stall expressed that all the stall were very good and useful. Further urged all the students to visit the IT exhibition, similarly added that IT plays a very important role in the good governance of the country, and the youth must take the initiative of new technology for proper development so to be empower the state as well. Similarly adding further said, that the use of e- governance have increased the transparency and even facilitates quality participation form the citizens. So the use of IT is becoming the integral part of Sikkim’s commune but quality service is to be availed in both the sectors private or public. Finally concluded by saying that education and health system to be given priority so as to make Sikkim a model state of Indian union and to achieve the same the aid of IT system is important and the same to be used in a manner suiting the people of Sikkim. Similarly the minister of IT NK Pradhan said, that the government of Sikkim has placed the IT high on its agenda and the government aims at empowering citizens through e-governance so as to make Sikkim a favorite IT destination. Similarly said that Sikkim is well poised to become totally computer literate state in another 5years and are even aiming to use IT to make the physically challenged gainfully employed. Further said to meet the objective the government have taken the establishment of 45 community information centers now common service centers in the state along with citizen centric website have been hosted many areas are in the process of being computerized by the NIC and the state government. Similarly the state wide area network in the state is made fully functional, DPRs for 12 departments have been submitted to the ministry of IT for funding and further added that the state is well poise to establish state data centre and the request for proposal for the same has been advertised. Interestingly further said that since last 7yrs the government have provided a wide spectrum of computer training to about 15000 citizens including government officials and unemployed youth and even the political leadership in the state is also being sensitized on how e-governance can be benefited to the citizens. Further the minister added that Sikkim is ranked first amongst the NE region in the E- readiness report of the government of India and even bagged the prestigious SKOCH challenger Award for the best use of IT. Similarly added further that recently our state had the distinction of being conferred the Bharat Nirman Award in E-governance by India Today group and the same was received by the Chief minister at a ceremony presided over by the Union finance minister, Pranab Mukharjee.? Further added that the state government have formulated a roadmap for the next ten years and the highlights of the plan is to make Sikkim completely knowledge based society, issuing smart cards to each and every citizens of the state, making internet available to every house hold and making all transactions in the state cashless and in the administration a total paperless environment would prevail. Further said that all natural and manmade features would be mapped through GIS, the rich biodiversity and the old heritage records in monasteries would be inventoried, as sikkim has the advantage of high literacy, absence of labour problem, population that speaks good english and pleasant climate and all this attributes would be leverage for setting up BPO and Animation centers. Similarly added further that the state plans on the anvil to establish a full fledged institute of capacity building in regard to which a draft policy document titled CM- youth empowerment scheme was unveiled and aims to empowering the youth so that they become employable and further the scheme also addresses the issue of generating employment locally in various sectors which also includes IT. Similarly added further that with rapid modernization taking place in the state there is an immense demand for new technologies both in the government as well as in the private sectors, and there is also a need to network the local entrepreneurs with big IT companies so as they can set up investment in the state. Finally concluded by saying that the exhibitors, delegates and visitors will find participating in this event meaningful and beneficial and added that the department would like to organize SIKITEX every year so that the state starts figuring prominently in the IT map of the country and even provide state the opportunity to develop long term relationship between the government, local industry and big IT companies. Similarly on the program Dinesh Tyagi, IAS, CEO, IL & FS also delivered a speech on the “strategies in e-governance”
