Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s IT department will form a working group within one month, as suggested by IT advisor Sam Pitroda, to work out the plans which can be implemented. This was announced by IT Secretary Pradeep Jena on Wednesday.
Following a meeting with Sam Pitroda at the Secretariat here, Jena told media persons, “After one month, the department will release a road map on what can be done practically in 10-12 sectors in 12 months, then 24 months and 36 months.”
The working group will have government officials and experts as members.
After his appointment as the State’s IT advisor, Pitroda for the first time held marathon meetings with ministers and secretaries at the Secretariat.
Explaining about his vision, Pitroda told media persons, “I have clarity in my mind. But I have to make sure we develop consensus. It cannot be my plan. It has to be plan of the people of Odisha.”
He further stated, “For example connecting all our universities and providing connectivity to all panchayats. Why cannot we help telemedicine in every district?”
On his future plans, he said, “My first real desire is to improve connectivity substantially. I want 100 megabytes speed at panchayat level. I want to have plan that takes three years, not ten years. I want to see concrete result in one year so that people of Odisha will feel that something is happening.”
Later, Pitroda also met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat.