Dharmendra seeks final approval for STPIs in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday urged Information Technology (IT) Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to accord final approval for setting up four Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) in Odisha.

Pradhan, in a letter, urged Prasad to accord approval for the STPIs to be set up at Angul, Sambalpur, Jajpur and Jeypore.

The state government has already submitted feasibility reports to the IT Ministry for getting final approval.

Presently, there are three STPIs operating in the state, and one is about to commission.

“Such a step will ensure all-round development of the state will promote Prime Minister’s vision of Make in India and Digital India programmes. This will be a part of the strategy aimed at inclusive development by promoting entrepreneurship and economic development in eastern part of the country,” said the Minister, who hails from Odisha.

Informing that Odisha is emerging as an education hub in eastern India with several institutes coming up in the state, Pradhan said STPIs can play a catalytic role in spurring growth technical education, entrepreneurship, innovation and consequential export-led economic development.