KARACHI, Nov 1: The Information Technology Department of Sindh is actively working for the introduction of IT in district administration throughout the province, said adviser to chief minister on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference at the Sindh Secretariat building, the adviser on environment and alternative energy, Noman Saigol, who has recently been assigned the IT department also, said that under a plan the Sindh IT department would be devolved to the district level with the appointment of EDO and other 36-46 staff in each district soon.

He said that the induction of IT on priority basis at all levels of the government was aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and providing quality services. Efforts are also being made to replace the physical file system through the use of internet and intranet in the government departments, he added.

Giving details of some of the development projects to be executed with the collaboration of some other government departments, the adviser also mentioned the proposed establishment of computer networks for Sindh police, which would enable about 407 police stations and posts in phases to record the public complaints, FIRs, situation in jails and other crime related proceedings electronically.

The e-policing will surely eliminate the chances of tampering of facts and improve the working of police by linking it through computers with the high-ups in the police department, prisons and the home department. In the first phase, which is going to be launched within a month’s time, 400 to 500 computers would be installed in a period of one year at all the police stations in the province, with a cost of Rs20 million, Saigol added.

He said that about 25 contractual posts of projects managers and IT personnel would be advertised soon so that different development projects could be initiated. The projects in question included establishment of IT resource and rural community internet centres, intranet setup for government, video conferencing system and IT awareness centres, automation of Civil Hospital, tax system, excise duty and taxes and establishment of data centres.

He said that an IT park would be developed along Super Highway in collaboration with the private sector, while another 200 acre plot was being acquired for the establishment of IT industry zone in the province.

The adviser said that over 300 IT networks of the department and 15,000 government employees were given IT training who had been performing their duties in various areas of the province.

He also called for promoting IT awareness amongst the masses and said that the government was going to set up community IT centres as well, which would be mainly funded by the international donors, out of which 8 would be in Karachi and 12 in other areas of Sindh.

Speaking on the capacity of the IT department, secretary of the department, M Yahya Waliullah, said that only one year back, the entire IT department comprised of 12 employees, while at present there were 50 employees and the number was likely to rise around 1,000 all over Sindh shortly.

To a question about the budgetary allocation, the secretary said that it had been promised Rs250 million under the annual development programme, out of which Rs10 million had been released so far.