Shri Sachin Pilot, the Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology informed Lok Sabha today in a written reply that as per Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), the details of the proposals for setting up of STPI Centres received from various State Governments during the last three years and the current year, as on date, State-wise and location-wise are:

1          Pauri and Almora (Uttrakhand)                      2          Deoghar (Jharkhand)

3          Shimoga and Belgaum (Karnataka)                4          Sambalpur (Odisha)

5          Ajmer (Rajasthan)                                           6          Chhindwara, Jabalpur (M.P.)

7          Kapurthala (Punjab)                                        8          Rup Nagar (Pinjab)

9          Balasore (Odisha)                                           10        Andaman and Nicobar Islands (UT)

            The reply further stated that as per the current policy, the State Government has to provide prescribed land, built up space and Grant-in-aid to STPL. A feasibility study is conducted by STPI jointly with the State Government to evaluate the export potential and commercial viability of the proposal. As per STPI, the proposal at Sl. No. 5 to 7 are under consideration. Other proposals were either not feasible or were not according to STPI policy or confirmation was not given for the prescribed state share, the Minister informed the House.

            The Minister further informed the House that the functioning of STPI is constantly being reviewed by Department of Information Technology (DIT) through Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee (IMSC) for Software Technology Parks (STPs) units and Electronics Hardware Technology Parks (EHTPs). As on 31.3.2011, 5565 STP units were exporting and 294 new units were registered under the STP scheme during the financial year 2010-11. The export by STP units has increased from Rs 2,05,505 crores in 2009-10 to Rs 2,15,262 crores in 2010-11 with a year-on-year growth of 4.75%.

            Government has brought out an Information Technology Investment Regions (ITIR) policy resolution notified in the Gazette of India in May 2008 under which each State/UT in India can set up an integrated township for facilitating growth of IT/BPO and Sunrise Industries with world class infrastructure. Proposals from the State of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu are at various stages of evaluation, the reply stated.

SP/ska