To address the infrastructure need of the information technology (IT)/ITES sector, the State-owned Odisha Computer Application Centre (OCAC) had come up with an OCAC Tower situated at a prime location of Bhubaneswar near the OCAC office with a super built-up area of 2.30 lakh sqft at a cost of Rs 46 crore developed by the IDCO. Aimed at promoting the sector specific entrepreneurs, the new building offered working space to IT and ITES Startup’s units at a subsidised rate for incubation and leased out core space as per the ICT Policy 2014. To manage the tower, there is an IT Promotion Cell headed by the General Manager, Administration. A target was set to generate Rs 5-crore revenue from it, which would be helpful for survival of the OCAC.
But of late, it has come to light that there is no record as how many tenants have occupied the spaces, their entitlement and what is revenue generation out of it.
It has also been observed that tenants do not pay rent and there is no effort also to recover rent from tenant because of there is a backend arrangement in between OCAC authority and tenants to settle rent matters. Every month OCAC spend huge amount of money for maintenance and operation cost of tower out of OCAC fund. To manage tower, assessing request to get space, disbursement of their subsidy, brining ICT investment to State, OCAC has formed a Project Management Unit and engaged KPMG with three resources with a cost to the State exchequer of Rs 1 crore per annum.
During the pandemic even without the presence of PMU member, OCAC is releasing their payment with some malicious intent without proper evaluation of their performance. OCAC has not been able to bring any investment to State in last 5 years. OCAC authority is giving undue privilege to many companies like CSM with a dubious motive and providing space to them in the tower though they are not entitled to get benefits. It is alleged that CSM has pulled strings at the high levels and managed to get its contract renewed year after year. Besides, no new companies are being opportunity to improve competitiveness and efficiency.
In past the efforts were promising under former Electronics and Information Technology Department Secretary CJ Venugopal but currently because of lack of experienced and poor leadership, OCAC is not able to represent Odisha properly like other States do to bring investment to their State. OCAC is responsible to bring emerging technology in ICT infrastructure and applications for empowering citizen centric services on doorstep of the citizens.
But OCAC having no resource with up to date skill set and led by a controversial officer without sound technical qualification is compelling State to accept proposal given by vendors without proper assessment which is taking organisation to a different direction without any benefits in long run out of huge investment. This has led to apprehension that it might turn into ‘white elephant’ like other Government corporations.