Therefore, it is not simply a matter of the number of computers, internet connections, telephones and mobiles, etc in the state but also the ability or readiness to use technology at the level of the individual, business and government. These are the findings of India’s latest “e-Readiness assessment report 2008 for states and union territories” prepared by the department of information technology, union ministry of communications and information technology. The report was released in January 2010. Sources in Goa’s IT department admitted Goa’s slow progress in IT but also pointed out the e-Readiness assessment report was for 2008.
Goa has since achieved an important milestone; the completion of the Goa broadband network in August 2009, which was not reflected in the e-Readiness report. On the other hand, the e-governance ranking of a state measures the level of usage by governments of available ICT infrastructure for delivering better citizen services.
The report states, “Goa and Uttar Pradesh have moved down to L3 in 2008 from the 2006 level of L2. Goa’s weak factors lay in the area of government readiness, particularly in percentage of officially trained (staff) in ICT and ICT use by panchayati raj Institutions.” Goa continued to remain in the “medium” category for e-governance and the report noted, “States like Goa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal do not figure in the ‘advanced’ category despite having designated separate institutional mechanism for e-governance, as these do not have interactive web presence.”
Judged as “leaders” in the e-Readiness rankings are the states of Karnataka, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. In the second category of “aspiring leaders” are West Bengal, Kerala, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab. Goa comes in the third category of “expectants” along with Andaman and Nicobar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. There are three other categories of “average achievers”, “below average achievers” and “least achievers”. Sources in Goa’s IT department, however, said the important GBBN project does not reflect in the Centre’s e-Readiness report. Under the GBBN project, both districts, all talukas and about 186 out of 189 village panchayats have got government network connectivity.
Goa’s IT successes include the computerization of all municipalities, the sales tax department, and sub-registrar’s offices in Mapusa and Margao with more offices to follow. “We are only enablers in IT. We are trying to push. But it is the individual departments and the departmental heads that need push more,” said an IT department source. IT experts said that to climb up in the e-Readiness rankings, Goa needs to provide more on-line services. Currently, the state only provide for online payment of commercial tax and for several informative services. “Goa must target more citizencentric services like payments of electricity bills, water bills, taxes, etc. either oline or through kiosks,” said an IT expert.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Joaquim Fernandes
Quelle/Source: The Times of India, 14.06.2010
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