The state government on Tuesday approved new information and communication technology policy (ICT), 2011, aimed at promotion of IT industry in Bihar and facilitating services to the people in a qualitative and transparent manner through e-governance, a government official said.

The new ICT policy has been framed to cater to industries, education, governance and citizens through promotion of information and communication technology, Ravikant, principal secretary (Cabinet Coordination and Secretariat) told reporters after a cabinet meeting presided over by the chief minister Nitish Kumar.

In the road map laid down for promotion of technology in the field of industries, the interested enterpreneurs will be given various incentives like partial rebate from VAT and capital subsidy to set up electronic hardware manufacturing units in Bihar, while enterpreneurs from the state will be given an additional 10 per cent weightage in award of tenders, he said.

The state government will also set up a corpus fund of Rs. 100 crores for the purpose of giving incentives to industrialists of the state in setting up new IT/ITES/EHM units, Ravikant said.

In the proposed use of ICT in education sector, he said that computer education will be made mandatory in government high schools which will be equipped with computers and trainers for imparting computer education to the students.