Silchar, Sept. 21: Union minister for information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad today said a business process outsourcing (BPO) centre and a software technology park will be opened here soon.

Speaking at a news conference here this afternoon, Prasad said instructions for allotment of land and other issues have been given to the authorities concerned and the projects would start soon.

He said the Centre was aiming to enhance the IT profile of smaller towns and as part of this, a BPO and a software technology park will be opened in Silchar.

Software Technology Pa-rks of India (STPI) is a society established in 1991 by the ministry of communications and information technology to encourage, promote and boost export of software from India.

Speaking about the government's vision to digitalise Assam, Prasad said 15,000 gaon panchayats in the state will be provided Internet within this year. Efforts are on to bring Internet to 2.5 lakh gaon panchayats across the country. Internet connectivity has already reached 90,000 gaon panchayats, he said.

Taking a dig at the previous Congress government at the Centre, he said only 358km of optical fibres were laid between 2011 and 2014 while 2.2 lakh km optical fibre has been laid after the BJP government came to power.

On the defunct paper mills in Cachar and Nagaon, he said efforts are on to revive them.

On citizenship, he said the government's stand was: 'Any illegal migrant is not welcome. However, the plight of those who are victims of persecution will be considered.'

'The Aadhaar initiative, a by-product of Digital India, can be a potent tool in identifying infiltrators which can help in solving the D-voters issue in Assam,' Prasad said.

The minister, who attended a programme last evening on the 79th birth anniversary of Bimolangshu Roy, said he was a 'great figure' who contributed a lot to the party. Roy, former Silchar legislator and father of Assam BJP spokes-person Rajdeep, passed away on July 9, 2009. The progra-mme was organised by the Bimolangshu Roy Foundation.

Prasad, who spoke on Digital Advancement in India - New Opportunities for Northeast, said: 'Digital India is a process to empower India and Indians. We want to bridge the digital gap through it.'

He said the Narendra Modi government's commitment to the development of Northeast is paramount. 'Unlike places like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Pune, the northeastern states lag in terms of digitalisation. We want to take up initiatives which will bring immense development in this sector in the Northeast.'

Rajdeep, managing trustee of the foundation, said Silchar and Barak Valley are lagging even after 70 years of Independence. 'Lack of infrastructure and job opportunities have stalled progress,' he said.

Former MP Kabindra Purkayastha, additional chief secretary Ravi Capoor and Sonai, Borkhola and Udharbond legislators Aminul Haque Laskar, Kishore Nath and Mihir Kanti Shome, among others, were present.