State governments and IT industry must invest in research and development through collaborative efforts in order to make ICT sector sustainable, the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, Shivraj V Patil, said today.

He stated this while addressing IT conclave 'eRevolution 2010', here.

"The IT and electronics industry in the country has reached a stage where it must think about investing extensively in research and development so that the benefits can reach everyone, and the government is willing to support any such initiative," he said.

Patil also asked state governments to spend more on research and development activities to provide impetus to innovation in information communication technology (ICT) field. "State government do not spend as much as Centre does on research and development. They (states) should spend more on it (R&D)," he said.

He admitted lack of availability of enough land for new enterprises in Chandigarh, but, he said, no such limitation can hamper industrial growth, provided the farmers whose land is taken must become partners as per the guidelines of Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy of Centre.

Speaking on this occasion, Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today said that the state was taking maximum benefit of IT to bring transparency in the governance system and reducing interaction of citizens with the government departments.

Badal noted unless and until benefits of information technology reache people living in remote and rural areas, IT Revolution in a diverse country like India was meaningless.

Listing out reforms undertaken by the government Badal said that Punjab would be the first state with all land records computerised by March 31, 2011, enabling citizens, even those living abroad to access their records online and get a print of land record with digital signature of Tehsildar. .

Right from doing away with attestation of certificates by gazetted officers to abolition of unnecessary affidavits, the life of ordinary citizen would be much comfortable now, he said.

He said that e-tendering of all projects and procurement of government supply, e-project management system, e-payment in PWD, Irrigation and Industry department has been able to break the caucus of Engineer- Contractor lobby that was cornering the projects, denying equal opportunity to all contractors.

Badal said March 31, 2011, people will witness perceptible change in governance, with availability of 54 citizen services under one roof in up coming e-Sewa Kendras in each city besides 3000 e-grams in the villages.

Badal said that right from providing registration of vehicles with the dealers, ensuring online national permits of heavy vehicles, computerising excise and taxation department completely, amending age old revenue law to reduce steps of litigation, the Punjab government was trying to make the life of citizen comfortable.

S.S. Channy, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce, Punjab, said that state government has acquired a substantial land bank for the knowledge industry to invest here, including 1,400 acre land for the Global Industrial Park, 260 acres in Kapurthala, 300 acres for the TechKnow Park in Ropar, besides 73 acres in Mohali, and Railmajra IT Park near Ropar, which has already received a good response.