Kerala to sign MoU with Centre

THIRUVANTHAPURAM: Ministry of Information Technology and Kerala Government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for implementation of e-governance projects in the state. This is the first time the union government is signing an MoU with any state government for promoting and implementing e-governance projects, according to P K Kunhalikutty, Kerala Minister for Industries and IT.

Announcing this at a press meet, Kunhalikutty said that the MoU will be signed between Pramod Mahajan, Union IT Minister and Kunhalikutty. This will be followed by the inauguration of Bhavani, the new building at Technopark. The MoU envisages financial, technical, administrative support for the e-governance projects being implemented in the state. "Kerala bagging the first ever MoU for egovernance with the Center is reward for the consistent efforts of the state in conceptualizing and implementing projects," according to Kunhalikutty.

Aruna Sundarajan, IT Secretary said that 10 government departments had already been identified for the implementation of e-governance projects on a priority basis and work is on. Earlier this year, the State had already provided a budgetary allocation of Rs 120 crore reportedly the highest among the states implementing computerization in government sector.



With the recent assessment of Kochi by NASSCOM as the second best IT destination and pro-reform initiatives by the government is bound to put Kerala on the national IT map of the country, according to Kunhalikutty.