Mahajan opposes move to merge three ministries

Mahajan opposes move to merge three ministries

INDORE, JAN 4: Union Information Technology (IT) and parliamentary affairs minister Pramod Mahajan today said he is not in favour of merging three important ministries to form one compact ministry as all the three are important in their own way.

"It is not wise to make one out of three important ministries of Union telecom, information and broadcasting and information technology, especially in view of amount of work involved and number of employees associated," Mahajan told reporters at the airport here on the issue of Convergence Bill seeking merger of the three ministries. However, he added that this was his personal view and heis against any such proposal.

Ministry for Information Technology (IT) has closed down five divisions including computer software development division and special IT projects division as part of a major restructuring exercise. The ministry would soon effect necessary transfers to redeploy manpower including that from the abolished divisions, official sources said. It has also reorganised the remaining science and technology divisions into seven groups in a bid to synchronise the working to suit the changing requirements in the fast-growing IT sector.

Under its first major revamp exercise after the formation of the IT ministry in October 1999, the ministry has also set up a high-level committee for restructuring the existing autonomous societies under the administrative control of the ministry.

"Consequent upon the reorganisation of various groups and divisions, the following divisions stand abolished: Computer Software development division, PIU Division, Special IT projects division, power electronics division, rural and social applications division," an internal order of the Ministry said.

Functions of the five abolished divisions would be merged with others, the order said while renaming two divisions HRD and industry policy cell as "IT manpower development and training" and "Electronics and IT policy co-ordination.

The Ministry has also set up a Technial Advisory Committee (TAC), chaired by IT secretary Vinay Kohli, to formulate recommendations on policy issues and fund management relating to all S and T groups. Each group would continue to have a seperate budget andcoordinators would have powers to administer their funds, sources said, adding this was aimed at maintaining autonomy of these groups.

The IT ministry has retained other S&T functions under seven groups including Industrial growth (IT hardware and software) group, Industrial growth (electronics equipments) group and technology forecasting and policy co-ordination group.

Other groups include education research and training group, IT applications promotion group, international co-operation and export promotion group, and planning and co-ordination group.

Sources said the revamping exercise was aimed atstreamlining the various overlapping activities and enabling the ministry to function as a more cohesive organisation with clear prioritties and objectives.