The recommendations, which were finalised a few days back, have been given the green signal by the central finance ministry, the Union ministry of communications as well as the Planning Commission panel. It is to be put forward for cabinet clearance by early next week after which the recommendations will be announced as the national informatics policy.

"The policy aims at giving a new thrust to acheive a target of $45 billion by the end of the year 2008 in software and IT-related exports," sources in the Planning Commission told The Financial Express in an exclusive interview. "The deputychairman of the Planning Commission has been highly instrumental in getting a unanimous agreement on the recommendations from various ministeries," sources said.

Amongst the major recommendations by the taskforce is that the department of telecommunications should provide a fast-track system for clearances for those PCOs operators who wish to convert their outfits to multimedia-cum-Internet hubs.

"We have also strongly called for the removal of VSNL's monopoly as soon as possible," sources in the 19-member IT taskforce said. The taskforce also recommends the floating of several new micro-missions in information technology to thrash out issues related to various micro-sectors in order to propel the country on the forefront of the international information technology highway.

"Amongst the micro-missions will be those like those that will propagate information technology in the rural sector; tackle the Y2K problem as well as the launching of a microprocessor embedded `smart card' called the citizen'sindentity card," said sources in the Planning Commission taskforce.