| INDIAN
STATE : SIKKIM
Policy Framework
Information Technology Policy for the state of Sikkim
The Government of Sikkim is aware of the transformational
changes in IT technology and would like to harness its
capabilities for the welfare of the state by having
up to date citizen services, ensuring greater accountability
through e-governance and also promote IT investments
in the state.
The Government of Sikkim has placed Information Technology
high on its agenda. The Information Technology Policy
has been formulated to put Information Technology on
a firm footing in the state. The Department of Information
Technology is determined to play the role of an enabler
and catalyzing agent.
Objectives and Mission statement
The IT policy of Sikkim is centered around the following
premise and the Mission Statements:
- Empowering citizens and making life easier for them
through e-governance
- Facilitating income and employment generation in
the private sector
- Improving productivity in the government departments
through computerization
- Use of information tools in the administrations
to improve governance.
- Making Sikkim a totally computer literate state
- Reducing the digital divide
- Using Information Technology to map the resources
of the state
- Using Information Technology to bring succor to
the disabled.
Full
text of the policy
Disinvestment Policy 2003 for the State of Sikkim
Objective
The primary objectives for disinvesting/privatising
the Public Sector Undertakings are as follows:
- Releasing large amount of public resources locked
up in non-productive PSUs, for redeployment in areas
that are much higher on the social priority, such
as, basic health, family welfare, primary education
and social and essential infrastructure;
- Stemming further outflow of scarce public resources
for sustaining the unviable PSUs
- Reducing the public debt that is threatening to
assume unmanageable proportions
- Transferring the commercial risk, to which the taxpayers'
money locked up in the public sector is exposed, to
the private sector wherever the private sector is
willing and able to step in. The money that is deployed
in the PSUs is really the public money and is exposed
to an entirely avoidable and needless risk, in most
cases;
- Releasing other tangible and intangible resources,
such as, large manpower currently locked up in managing
the PSUs, and their time and energy, for redeployment
in high priority social sectors that are short of
such resources.
Other benefits
Other benefits expected from privatisation:-
- Disinvestments would expose the privatised companies
to market discipline, thereby forcing them to become
more efficient and survive or cease on their own financial
and economic strength. They would be able to respond
to the market forces much faster and cater to their
business needs in a more professional manner. It would
also facilitate in freeing such companies from government
control and introduce corporate governance in the
privatised companies.
- Disinvestments should result in wider distribution
of wealth through offering of shares of privatised
companies to small investors.
- Opening up the public sector to appropriate private
investment would increase economic activity and have
an overall beneficial effect on the economy, employment
and tax revenues in the medium to long term.
Criteria for disinvestment/privatization
The criteria for disinvestment/privatization:-
- Government would disinvest/privatize public sector
undertakings, which are making losses for last three
years.
OR
- Government would disinvest/privatize public sector
undertakings, which have not paid dividends to the
Government of Sikkim for last three years.
OR
Full
text of the policy
Industrial Policy of Sikkim
Policy Objectives
The policy envisages:-
- Creation of an atmosphere conducive to industrial
growth, taking into consideration the available natural
resources and the local socio-economic environment.
- Maintenance of the Green State image while promoting
industrial activities.
- Rehabilitation of sick industries with comprehensive
assistance and guidance from the Department of Industry,
and privatization of select State Public Sector Undertakings.
- Enrichment of the agricultural sector through the
establishment of appropriate linkage between agriculture
and agro-based industries.
- Ensuring balanced regional development through promotion
of Khadi, Village, cottage, and tiny, small and ancillary
industries.
- Promotion of the traditional handloom, handicrafts
and artisan sector, by providing adequate support
in the form of common facilities like service centers
cheap raw material, technical inputs, marketing network
skill development, etc.
- Development of tourism as an industry.
- Development of Sikkim as a major centre for manufacture
& marketing of tea.
- Rapid Development of basic infrastructure so that
industrial Growth is facilitated.
- Encouraging self-employment and identification of
avenues for the same by providing guidance through
data bank of project-profiles and other related information.
- Promote and encourage high-value, low-volume products,
in view of the transportation-bottlenecks in the State.
- Human resource development through appropriate skill
and entrepreneurship development programmes behavioral
training, etc., at district, sub-division and block
level, to meet the emergent skill requirements of
the State within a stipulated time frame.
- Protection and promotion of interest of the local
people especially at the unskilled and semi-skilled
levels by defining norms for a minimum percentage
of employment to the local people in the industrial
units.
- Encouraging joint ventures between local entrepreneurs
and industrialist from outside the State for setting
up of industries within industrial belt area.
- Simplification of procedures and opening up of Sikkim
with a view to attract both internal and outside investors,
with respect to prospects whose long-term viability
is carefully evaluated.
Strategy for implementation
of the policy
The objects set out in the industrial policy are challenging
and require a well-defined strategy for implementation.
The Government proposes to achieve these objectives
by pursuing the following strategies:-
- Identification of thrust areas and effective promotion
of industries in these areas.
- Announcement of attractive package and fiscal incentives.
- Special promotional measures for rural and traditional
industry.
- Establishing industrial estates and growth centers
to facilitate integrated development of industry.
- Development of rehabilitation package for the sick
industries.
- Revamping the public sector undertakings.
- Creation of appropriate organization arrangements.
- Development of marketing support systems.
- Development of appropriate training facilities.
- Creation of Single Window Agency.
Full
text of the policy
Useful Web links
Government
of Sikkim
Commerce
and Industry Department, Sikkim
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