IfG.CC - The Institute for eGovernment

The state cabinet on Thursday adopted introduction of e-governance as a state policy, and also set the ball rolling in this regard by giving approval to consultancy firms shortlisted for creating requisite infrastructure to cover the entire state and district administrations for better and transparent flow of information from the government level down to the block administration besides public and business sections.

Of the shortlisted consultancy firms, Tata Consultancy Service, Beltron and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (ILFS) would enter into a tripartite joint venture to constitute a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for a four-pronged objective. The estimated cost of the project is over Rs 38 crore.

The main objectives of the SPV would be to prepare software and strategy to introduce e-governance, raise funds for the development and spread of e-governance, develop information technology infrastructure and do capacity-building work for downstream implementation of schemes so that a total IT transformation of the state is achieved.

The bottomline is that mere installation of computer systems in various departments for functional purpose does not constitute e-governance.

Incidentally, the government would not have to pay money for the purpose initially. The SPV itself would raise the required fund, and the government would make the payment in course.

Other institutions to be involved with the SPV in delivering the allotted work are IIT and Indian Institute of Management (IIM).

Cabinet secretary A K Chauhan said the SPV would prepare a comprehensive special package for e-governance so that the state complies with the advice of President APJ Abdul Kalam and becomes at par with other states, which are already ahead with regard to adoption and implementation of e-governance.

With the cabinet nod, the SPV would get together its allied institutions to get on with the allotted work without wasting time. The money to be paid to the institutions concerned would be decided later.

Meanwhile, the cabinet gave sanction to the appointment of former law secretary Basudeo Ram as deciding officer in the state's industrial tribunal. He would be in the rank of district judge.

Quelle/Source: Times of India, 19.05.2006