Date:11/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/11/stories/2009011153330400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

No change in IT investment policy: Karunanidhi

R.K.Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI: There is no change in the policy guiding investments into the Information Technology sector in the State, Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi has said.

Speaking to The Hindu, he said that the benefits available for investment in the sector continued.

The new IT policy had as its goal garnering for the State 25 per cent of Indian ICT production from the current 11 per cent. Hence, there was need for more investments to come into the sector.

Referring to Electricity Minister Arcot N.Veerswami’s advice to Persons of Indian Origin at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas that investments in Information Technology will not get good returns now, Mr.Karunandhi said that Mr.Veeraswami’s personal advice to PIOs did not constitute the policy of the State.

Tamil Nadu aimed to achieve creation of three million jobs in the sector by 2011 and it was pulling out the stops to ensure that this target was attained. There was no relook at the policy or change and hence, investment in the sector was welcome, he added.

Tamil Nadu had many inherent strengths, was investor-friendly and had single-window clearances for most projects. These should be taken advantage of, said Mr.Karunanidhi, who also handles the IT portfolio.