The Government of India has launched the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) for delivering e-Government services at the doorsteps of the rural citizens of India. The NeGP aims to empower the rural India through the power of Information Communication Technology (ICT). In principle, the front-end interface of the NeGP with the rural citizens is the Common Service Centres (CSCs) through which the government services as well as other value-added services would be delivered to the rural citizens. The notable services include: building education and health care for rural citizens, especially for children and elderly people; creating and maintenance of transport and communication infrastructure; ensuring safety of the rural people; preparing a productive rural work force; and providing economic viability etc.
Not only the step will make the government more simple, transparent and efficient, but also become accountable to the people, as the electronic services are not prone to human corruption compared to the existing system. Readymade information on 24/7 environment on vital services will be made available to the villagers, who often find themselves at disadvantageous position. Indeed digital divide has put the poor and marginalised at great risk of being denied the opportunities and accesses to the services that they must avail, like any other citizen in the city.
Through it, implementation of e-Commerce for marketing their produce in what is called Rural Bazar developed by NIC, would surely come as a long-awaited opportunity for rural people. Often, the lack of knowledge about the various types of services put the villagers in deep predicament leading to third-rate services at a higher price. Health risk is bound to be the ultimate resultant in such cases. Now with services through e-Governance at the rural threshold, people will have the choice, which means the rural areas will become knowledge-oriented societies. In addition, it will help the villagers to be more proactive and feel engaged and elevated in receiving the value-added services at their doorsteps, which have been the legacy of the affluent class. More importantly, the strong networking through e-Governance will make the outreach easier for the rural people as well. Last bit not the least, it would provide job opportunities to a large number of unemployed young lots.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are playing increasingly important roles in the day-to-day lives of people, revolutionizing their work and leisure, and changing rules of doing businesses. Development of ICT leads up to E-governance, which has now become the most talked word around the world.
However, key challenges, as Dr N Vijyaditya, Director General, National Informatics Centre, Ministry of Information and Technology, Government of India, puts it, with e-Governance for rural areas lie in extending the reach of services to 70% of Indian population that lives in villages include: assessment of local needs and customising e-Governance solutions to meet those needs; connectivity; content (local content based on language); building human capacities, e-Commerce; and sustainability.
I can pray for the ambitious e-Governance programme to be successful believing that the leadership would provide all the possible assistance to make it a reality, though the mismanagement factors cannot be ruled out. Let’s hope for the better.
Autor(en)/Author(s): M Shamsur Rabb Khan
Quelle/Source: Patna Daily, 09.09.2006
