In the news for many a positive change, Bihar is set to add another feather to its cap in the form of its first software technology park (STP). Located in Patna, the park — 49th of its kind in the country — will have facilities to accommodate around ten small and medium level software firms.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar will inaugurate the park on Friday at a function which will also be attended by Union minister of state for communication and information technology Shakeel Ahmed.

A team of senior officials of the Software Technology Park of India (STPI), including director (east) P K Das and New Delhi-based senior director Omkar Rai reached Patna on Thursday to supervise the preparations for the inauguration.

Earlier the state had just one regulatory office of the STPI and software exported from Bihar were routed through the STP located in Bhubaneswar. This did not allow the state to take credit for its contribution in the software exports from the country.

“The park will have ready-to-use-facility for firms willing to set up their units in it,” S K Patnaik, office incharge of Patna STP, told TOI on Thursday. He said the park will offer facilities like computers, internet connection and uninterrupted power supply at a nominal rate.

The building of the park has already been completed and additional facilities would be in place within a month’s time. “Though this park can accommodate only small and medium level software firms, it can provide a launching pad to entrepreneurs for setting up larger firms,” Patnaik added.

He hoped the park would not face much problem as far as optimum utilisation of the facilities is concerned since Bihar has as many as 11 registered software export firms.