HYDERABAD: The Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (ITEC) Department, which is responsible for technological initiatives in the State and for fostering innovation, has received more than a 100-fold increase in its Budget estimate for this year. As opposed to the Rs 28.08 crore allocation last year, the State government has allocated Rs 359.91 crore (both establishment and scheme expenditure) for the ITEC Department.
While there is minuscule increase in establishment expenditure (salaries, allowances and so on), a majority of the hike is seen in the schemes of the Department. Under the ‘professional services’ overhead of the IT Department, the government has allocated Rs 88 crore this year as opposed to Rs 12.25 crore last year. Rs 49 lakh has been allocated towards advertisements. Apart from this, T-Works received Rs 8 crore as budget estimates, T-Fiber received Rs 7 crore, Soft Net Rs 6 crore and We-Hub Rs 7 crore.
In his speech, Finance Minister T Harish Rao said, “The value of IT exports which was Rs 66,276 crore in 2014-15 increased to Rs 1,28,807 crore by 2019-20. This indicates the progress achieved by the IT sector in the State. While the national average annual growth of IT exports is only 8.09 per cent, the average growth of exports from our State is 17.93 per cent.” He stressed on the expansion of IT parks to Type II cities such as Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar and Nizamabad. He also said that the State is concentrating on electric vehicles to reduce pollution.
IT Parks at Tier II cities to be expanded
Finance Minister Harish Rao stressed on the expansion of IT parks to Type II cities such as Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar and Nizamabad. He also said that the State is concentrating on electric vehicles to reduce pollution. Rs 49 lakh has been allocated towards advertisements. In his speech, he said, “The value of IT exports which was Rs 66,276 crore in 2014-15 increased to Rs 1,28,807 crore by 2019-20. This indicates the progress achieved by the IT sector in the State. While the national average annual growth of IT exports is only 8.09 per cent, the average growth of exports from our State is 17.93 per cent.”
e-Budget for legislators & scribes
In line with the State government’s attempt to popularise digitisation, all documents related to the Budget, expect the copies of the Budget speech, were presented to MLAs, MLCs and journalists in a digital format for the first time this year. While the government presented Apple tablets pre-loaded with all documents to public representatives, scribes were given the same via pen drives