IT will be used for poverty alleviation in Odisha: Pitroda

BHUBANESWAR: To provide better services to the people through information technology in Odisha, Technology Advisor of the state government Sam Pitroda on Monday said IT would be used for improving education, agriculture, health, poverty alleviation and other sectors by digitally connecting those sectors.

Holding a discussion with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Pitroda said the state government would first assess the present status of the state connectivity and then will make plans for the future.

He expressed confidence that there will be a significance change in the technology front of the state.

“I have clarity in my mind. But there should evolve a consensus. It cannot be my plan. It has to be the plan of people of Odisha,” said Pitroda.

The Odisha government has decided to roll out fibre optics down to the Panchayat level that will work as an Information Super Highway connecting to various sectors such as education, agriculture, health and other sectors.

The government expects that it will help improve the service delivery mechanism and bring efficiency to poverty alleviation programmes too.

Welcoming Pitroda for accepting to work as technology advisor in the state, the Chief Minister said the state government is keen to improve its public service delivery mechanism.

Met our new #Technology Advisor @sampitroda, wished him the best for an impactful engagement in #Odisha #vision2036 pic.twitter.com/D50DDo3B4c

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) January 27, 2016

All the departments have been asked to spend at least two percent of their plan budget for electronic enabled services to the citizens as enacted under Right to Public Service Delivery Act.

Patnaik also sought the cooperation of Pitroda in skill development sector for making the youth industry ready.

Earlier in the day, Pitroda held a discussion with seven departments and their ministers to chalk out plans for facilitating various services through information technology.