IT parks issue to be resolved by month-end

All the issues pertaining to information technology (IT) parks in Madurai would be settled by this month-end, Information Technology Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan has said. Addressing IT entrepreneurs at a meet here on Friday, he said that the very aim of establishing IT parks was to reverse the trend of migration of educated youth from tier-two cities such as Madurai and Tirunelveli to metropolitan cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad in search of job. Stating that while Bangalore was facing traffic congestion and the Telangana issue was disrupting peace in Hyderabad thus creating fear among entrepreneurs, he said that the IT Parks set up by ELCOT in Madurai and Tirunelveli were to attract small entrepreneurs. The issues of modifying the eligibility criteria of Rs. 1 crore annual turnover for getting space in the IT/information technology-enabled services special economic zone and minimum space of allotment as raised by Software Industries Development Association (SIDA) would be taken to the notice of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and settled by this month-end, he said. The IT parks were meant for the development of southern districts, he added. Graduates passing out of 140 professional colleges in the southern districts would be benefited through them, he added. IT Secretary Santosh Babu pointed out the shift in government policy regarding allotment of space in IT Parks. “We targeted the IT majors. But, now, we are also looking at medium and small scale entrepreneurs,” he said. The data recovery centre of Tamil Nadu government, a backup facility for the data centre in Chennai, would be set up in Madurai, he said. Dr. Babu said that the government was formulating new hardware policies. A rural BPO would be set up in Srirangam, he added. “Simplify norms” SIDA president R. Sivarajah, sought simplified eligibility norms for local SMEs and minimum capital expenditure component to enable local small and medium enterprises enter the SEZ. He sought a separate zone or floor within the IT SEZ for SMEs that do not have export revenues and minimum turnover requirement now, but have the potential to achieve the SEZ norms in future. Such SMEs should be provided all the infrastructure such as telecom, network and power on a par with export-oriented units, except for the tax-exemption. “If smaller spaces in the range of 1,000 to 1,500 square feet were made available for SMEs, members of SIDA are ready to take up around 25,000 square feet,” he said. Minister for Cooperation Sellur K. Raju, Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa, ELCOT Managing Director Atul Anand, Collector U. Sagayam and MLAs were present.

Jayalalithaa releases water for Tirunelveli farmers

Tirunelveli and Tuticorin, the most fertile agricultural areas are to benefit with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa who today ordered release of water from Manimutharu dam for the districts for irrigation. Following requests from farmers, Ms Jayalalithaa ordered release of water for irrigation from tomorrow, an official press release here said. This would provide irrigation facilities to 12,018 acres of cultivable lands in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin districts, the release said. Tirunelveli is also involved in fishery development and production. For the period 2005–2006, the total inland fish catch was 1,874 tonnes, and the total marine fish catch was 7,014 tonnes. The district is also rich in minerals, with a total of 407 mines and quarries. Limestone, granite and garnet sand are some of the minerals mined or produced in the district. Major industries include textile, food and forestry products. A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was introduced at Nanguneri n 2001. A pharma park and windmill spare-parts and television-manufacturing factories have been planned in this SEZ. The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) has planned a Rs 700-crore high-tech industrial park in Nanuguneri in association with INFAC Group and Axes Technologies Inc of the US. The state government is planning light manufacturing, design and assembly facilities, modern infrastructure facilities and amenities in this SEZ to attract a workforce from around the world. Tirunelveli district enjoys the benefit of the early showers of south-west monsoon and of the latter rains of the north-east monsoon. The district is chiefly irrigated by rivers rising in Western Ghats. The dams and anaicuts constructed on Thamiraparani and Manimuthar rivers serve both agriculture and power generation. The total fall, though is light, averaging about 814.8 mm per annum, is generally well-distributed. The Thamiraparani river affords perennial irrigation to a fairly large area on which two crops are normally raised. Several tanks and wells form part of the other source of irrigation. There are no large reservoirs in this district so the Papanasam and Manimuthar dams located in the Tirunelveli district in the Thambibharani river are the main sources of irrigation.

WiMAX service introduced in Tirunelveli

The Tirunelveli Telecom District has found a place in the Tamil Nadu Telecom Circle's WiMAX (World wide Interoperability Microwave Access) map when it became the 15th telecom district to get the facility. K. Balasubramanian, General Manager, Tirunelveli Telecom District, launched it on Monday evening. Except Kumbakonam and Puducherry Telecom Districts, all other 15 Telecom Districts in Tamil Nadu Circle have WiMAX facility now. In Tirunelveli district, WiMAX equipment has been installed at 11 locations viz. Palayamkottai, Pettai, Vadakkankulam, Vasudevanallur, Kalakkad, Ambasamudram, Alangulam, Nanguneri, Sankarankovil, Tenkasi and Radhapuram. A maximum of 2 Mbps speed is achieved in this latest technology.

The maximum coverage will be up to a radial distance of 15 km. Depending upon the distance from the WiMAX equipment, the subscriber's equipment will be chosen and service will be provided by the BSNL's field units. Within a distance of 500 metres, USB Donghlers that resembles a data card can be purchased from the BSNL's Customer Service Centre and used. For the coverage beyond 500 metres and up to 3 km, an indoor modem will be supplied by the BSNL. Beyond this distance, outdoor modem will be mounted externally to establish effective connectivity. “Hence, based on their needs, the customers can purchase a suitable modem from the BSNL or it can be taken on a rental basis by depositing 50 per cent of the cost of the modem chosen by the customer,” Mr. Balasubramanian told reporters here on Monday. While cost of the data card is Rs. 2,800 plus tax, the internal modem costs Rs. 4,200 plus tax. The cost of the external modem is Rs. 5,000 plus tax. The tariff ranges from Rs. 220 to Rs. 7,000 a month. The tariff between Rs. 220 and Rs. 750 is for limited plans ie. free download is limited and excess usage will be charged whereas plans from Rs. 750 to Rs. 7,000 are with unlimited usage. The WiMAX service will be available to the subscribers immediately on submitting application forms in the Customer Service Centres in Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai from December 20 onwards. In all other places of the district, it will be available from December 21. Since free roaming within Tamil Nadu is allowed now, the subscriber who leaves his native place on a tour, can take the modem along with him so that the service can be availed in those locations where WiMAX facility is available. “We're working towards providing free all-India roaming,” Mr. Balasubramanian informed. Now, broadband service is provided only within 5 km from the exchange and 3G facility is available only within the corporation limit. So technically non-feasible areas where data facility is required can have WiMAX facility.