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M. Somasekhar

Hyderabad , Nov. 24

DECKS have been finally cleared for a National Map Policy, which would allow free access to maps for the private sector industry as well as civilians.

The Ministry of Defence has agreed to the proposals made by an inter-ministerial task force recently and the draft policy would be placed before the Union Cabinet for official clearance, according to Dr Amitabha Pande, Joint Secretary in the Union Department of Science and Technology (DST).

As per the proposed policy, which should be in place in a month's time, there would be two sets of maps — one for civilian utility and the other for defence purposes.

The Survey of India, under the DST will be the nodal agency to make available these maps, Mr Pande told Business Line.

There has been persistent demand from the growing private industry using the maps, especially the Geographical Information Systems, Global Positioning Systems, travel & tourism and the infrastructure developers for the removal of restrictions on access to maps.

The industry has been stating that restrictions were slowing down development work and the growth of the sector.

For a long time, publication of maps of India in any form, including in geography textbooks, needed the permission of the Surveyor General of India.

There are other restrictions related to defence installations or vital civil areas and features such as reservoirs and dams etc.

However, with satellite imagery of high resolution coming in and becoming available, such restrictions were questioned by sections of scientists and private companies needing maps.

Responding to the persistent demand from the industry and the growing user agencies in the country, a task force with representatives from the Department of Science and Technology, Defence, Home, Space, Environment etc., was constituted to work out a set of proposals that would lead to liberalisation of map data a few years ago.

Earlier, addressing a road show on the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Conference scheduled to be held in Bangalore during February 2-6, 2004, Mr Pande said the Survey of India, which is into its 237th year has generated invaluable data in the form of maps, toposheets of various scales, which provide the basis for the emergence of a strong players in the sector.

Already, world majors such as Rolta and Kampsax have set up huge bases in the country and are utilising the manpower to execute big projects globally.

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