Patna, Sept. 8: The state government has set the ball rolling for setting up an information technology park at Bihta, around 30km west of the state capital, in public-private partner- ship mode.

The park, according to the plan, would be developed on the 15-acre plot the information technology (IT) department has taken on lease from Bihar Industrial Area Development Authority. The private investor would be given the option of collecting user charges from the companies setting up their shops in the proposed park.

As a first step towards realising this goal, the IT department has invited bids from agencies interested in playing the role of consultant for preparing the blueprint of the park.

“Some major players like Ernst and Young and IL&FS have submitted proposals for playing the role of consultant. A final decision on selecting the agency would be taken by the end of this month,” a state government source told The Telegraph.

He said Beltron had been given the task of assessing the bids and suggesting the most suitable consultant.

“We are in the process of going through the bid details and would soon convey our opinion about selection of the agency to the IT department,” a source in the Beltron said.

As far as the facilities to be developed in the proposed IT park are concerned, the state government source said the goal was to develop an integrated campus that would provide everything investors look for while opening their IT shops at a given place.

“Basic facilities apart, the park would have high bandwidth facility so that users can get high-speed Internet connection — a must for IT industries,” said the source, adding that facilities like uninterrupted power supply and round-the-clock delivery of certain services would also be available at the proposed park.

The source maintained that these were just the broader ideas and that the consultant would work out the finer details.

“The government would just give the broader outline but details has to be worked by the agencies which specialise in such works,” added the source.

Though the stakeholders are happy about the government’s initiative to set up a park for providing basic facilities to prospective investors, they have certain reservations about the move.

“The park can be a good venture in the long-term but the government should have thought a way out to provide such facility in Patna itself,” said Prabhat Kumar Sinha, the spokesperson of Bihar IT Association.

He said Bihta did not have the basic infrastructure to meet the requirements of those looking to set to set up IT ventures in Bihar and the government should try to develop partnership with those who have land in the city and were willing to provide them for develop- ing facilities for setting up IT shops.

“Developing an integra- ted IT park at Bihta should be a long-term goal. But some steps should be taken to attract prospective investors immediately,” Sinha added.