A Rs 6000 crore National Knowledge Network programme will be implemented in the next five years to facilitate interlinking of agricultural, medical colleges, research institutions and other academic organisations, Union Communications and IT Minister A Raja said today.

The Network's purpose was to enable research students and others to have interaction and keep themselves abreast of development in their respective areas.

The UPA ministry had approved the National Knowledge Network policy three weeks ago, he said, laying the foundation stone for a Rs 20 crore Software Technology Park of India-(STPI) IT Park at Pondicherry Engineering College.

Union Territory would be the first in the country to get the 'E-district' facility, he said in response to a plea made by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister V.Narayanasamy and Chief Minister V Vaithilingam that Puducherry be brought under the scheme from current year.

Tamil Nadu was the first to come out with an IT Policy and Chief Minister M Karuanidhi was the first to take the lead in the country in this regard as a whole, he said.

Centre had also evolved a Rs 2.6 crore Semi Conductor Investment Policy and necessary MOU had been signed already, he added.

Lt Governor Iqbal Singh said the STPI-IT park would come up on one lakh square feet spread over a three acre site.

On the Puducherry government's plea that the upcoming Park which had been evolved in collaboration with STPI be made a SEZ for IT sector, Raja said the decision would have to be taken in consultation with Industries and Commerce Ministry.

Narayanasamy said the IT park sanctioned for Puducherry would ultimately develop into a major IT sector with a cumulative investment of Rs 100 crore.

Puducherry Administration's E Governance Society and the Chennai unit of the Information Communication Technology Academy entered into an MoU to "facilitate skill development of teachers, students, employees of the Puducherry government and the youth in the ICT domain.