Shillong, June 12: The Centre will set up a department of electronics accredited computer courses in Shillong this year to connect the northeastern states with the rest of the country, said Union secretary of the ministry of information and technology, Jainder Singh, today.

Addressing the two-day IT summit, Meghabytes, that began today at the North Eastern Hills University (Nehu) in Shillong, he said this centre would provide IT-based training to at least 540 students.

Various IT companies and professionals in the field participated in the summit.

The Centre has approved Rs 500 crore to set up the department, Singh added.

The official said the department, as an autonomous body of the department of information and technology, will impart global-level computer professional education.

The official said setting up of IT-related industries in the Northeast and improving e-governance would help tap human resources.

Meghalaya chief minister Donkupar Roy also stressed the need for sustainable growth in all sectors, including IT. He urged the stakeholders in the state to adopt IT as a major agenda of their plan for growth. Roy said the state government has already formulated an IT policy in 2004 and taken a lot of initiatives for the purpose.

He wanted the northeastern states to make a collective effort for growth in the IT sector.

Meghalaya IT minister Conrad K. Sangma said the state needs to be empowered digitally.