Calcutta, Dec. 12: The government has finally transferred the West Bengal Electronic Industries Development Corporation — better known as Webel — from the commerce and industries department to the fledgling information technology department.
“The administration of Webel, which is the government’s IT company, has been transferred to us with effect from December 8,” confirmed Bengal IT minister Manab Mukherjee. Nirupam Sen, the state industries and commerce minister and Mukherjee’s senior in the cabinet, was in-charge of the beleaguered corporation. A government order, dated December 8, has been issued giving effect to the transfer.
The long-awaited decision is a step towards furthering the state’s agenda to effect a turnaround in Webel, its nodal IT agency. With a workforce of over 1,000 and seven loss-making companies out of its 11 subsidiary units, Webel, which controls the state’s IT hub in the Salt Lake Electronics Complex, has been a cause of concern for the Left Front government.
The move is also expected to clear the cloud of confusion. “The government set up an IT department to promote IT industry in the state. But Webel, spearheading the government’s IT initiatives, remained with the industries and commerce department. Both the departments had control over Webel and this dual ownership bred confusion,” said a senior state official.
The decision to transfer the administrative rights, being discussed in Writers’ Buildings and within the Left Front for over three years, was pushed back several times before the cabinet finally cleared it last month.
“There were some non-IT companies under Webel’s fold. A process of restructuring has already been initiated and we are positioning the corporation as the government’s IT company. We want to run it efficiently and Cearn profits,” said Mukherjee.
The government recently announced a restructuring package for the loss-making units. Despite opposition from a section of the employees’ union, a decision to close down five units, restructure two others and offer voluntary retirement scheme to around 400 employees has been taken by Sen’s department.
