Communications and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has sought Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s intervention to expedite the projects under ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ in the State.

In a letter to the Chief Minister, Prasad pointed towards the slow progress of these projects and also raised issues such as there was no final application for electronic manufacturing cluster (EMC) scheme, land allotment for National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT), Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and also delay in providing Aadhaar to required population in the State.

In November 2014, Prasad made declaration for setting up NIELIT centre in Buxar and Muzaffarpur, but the land allotment has not been finalised yet.

The Bihar government had allotted 15 acres free of cost for setting up NIELIT permanent campus. But of the total land, 12.36 acres have been made free of encroachment and construction has already started whereas 2.64 acres are still under encroachment, he said in the letter.

Prasad has also wrote that Common Service Centres are not being set up in every Panchayat in the State.

“These initiatives will only encourage greater opportunities for young people of Bihar, for IT skilling, delivery of services, software products and above all, creating employment. Hailing from Bihar, I am willing to render all cooperation. However, the State government, I need to emphasise, has to play a proactive role,” Prasad said in the letter seen by BusinessLine .

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in August last year announced funds for Bihar – amounting to ₹1.25 lakh crore – out of which major amount were to be dedicated for such projects.

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