Implementation Factor Affecting E-governance in Uttarakhan

• Jitender Kumar Sehgal, Dr. Priti Dimri, Krishna Nand Rastogi

Abstract

e-Governance is the utilization of Internet and the world wide web for delivering government Information and services to the citizens and the other organizations. Uttarakhand is one of the leading states in implementation of e-Governance but still there are lot of challenges in effective and efficient implementation at rural level or hilly areas. This paper highlights the factors that are affecting the implementation of e-Governance in Uttarakhand it also includes a survey which takes all the factors into an account and before starting a actual survey a preliminary study conducted in order to evaluate feasibility for this questionnaire was done which confirms its acceptance.

Keywords: E- governance, Common Service Centers, M-Government

Introduction

E-Governance refers to approach “ How government utilized IT, ICT, and other web based telecommunication technologies to improve and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery in public sector. Government of Uttarakhand has implemented a number of projects implementation of e-governance. The website of almost every government department has been launched so as to provide as their services online, for this purpose Government of Uttarakhand has launched www.uk.gov.in where we can access a short description of a particular government department and its related website links. The description of 46 departments is available on this website. In addition to large no. of Common Service Center (CSC) are also provided for convenience of rural and hilly areas of citizens . But there are some hurdles due to which hilly area/rural area

citizens are not able to access e-Governance services. In this survey an attempt to collect the factors that affect the implementation of e-Governance is done so that the necessary actions can be made for its efficient and effective implementation.

Common Service Centers

The CSC is a strategic cornerstone of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), as part of its commitment in the National Common Minimum Programmed to introduce e-governance on a massive scale. The CSCs would provide high quality and cost-effective video, voice and data content and services, in the areas of e-governance, education, health, telemedicine, entertainment as well as other private services. A highlight of the CSCs is that it will offer web-enabled e-governance services in rural areas, including application forms, certificates, and utility payments such as electricity, telephone and water bills. The Scheme creates a conducive environment for the private sector and NGOs to play an active role in implementation of the CSC Scheme, thereby becoming a partner of the government in the development of rural India. The PPP model of the CSC scheme envisages a 3-tier structure consisting of the CSC operator (called Village Level Entrepreneur or VLE) the Service Centre Agency (SCA), that will be responsible for a division of 500-1000 CSCs and a State Designated Agency (SDA) identified by the State Government responsible for managing the implementation over the entire State.

M-Government

M-Government, is the extension ofe-Governmentto mobile platforms, as well as the strategic use of government services and applications which are only possible using cellular/mobile telephones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) andwirelessinternet infrastructure. M-Government is now evolving on four dimensions – transforming e-Government services directly to the mobile platform, providing access to mobile technologies and application for the field workers of the public sector, enabling smart / flex working and providing citizen services any time, any where.

Analysis Factor

This survey considers all the factors affecting the services of e-governance at urban and rural or hilly areas. It includes major factors and all those factors are taken as question which can be answered in two different ways (yes or no) according to which we take better services and form government and suggests some specific points to government of Uttarakhand for better implementation of e-governance services.

According to the survey the respondents can be classified into two categories are as follows:

1. Rural/
2. Urban Citizens
3. Hilly areas citizens

Category Factors

General Questions

1. Do you access internet in your daily life?
2. Do you have internet connection?
3. Is there any CSC in your village ?
4. Do you have electricity in your village?
5. Do you have proper road facility in your village?

E-governance

1. Have you heard about e-governance and its services?
2. Do you prefer to use governance services online?
3. Is the access to government links or websites

(c.1) Easy?

(c.2) Time Saving?

(c.3) Accessible from Home?

(c.4) Secure and safe?

Common Service Centre (CSC’s)

(a) Have you ever visited CSC centre?

(If Yes, Please attempt the following)

(b) Where do you access CSC ?

(b.1) In your city or village

(b.2) Nearby your city or village

(b.3) Is it easy to access that CSC

(If No, Please mention the reason/reasons)

(b.4) Distance to be travelled in KM

(b.5) Is Proper road facility available

(b.5) Is the travel expensive?

(b.6) Is there any Misguidance by agents

(b.7) Is the procedure Complicated ?

(b.8) Are all the staff members of CSC centre

available at your visiting time?

(b.9) Which medium of instructions are used by

the staff?

(b.9.1) Hindi

(b.9.1) Garhwali

(b.9.1) English

(b.10) Do you think the staff members at the

centre are well trained?

(b.11) Are the staffs co-operative?

(b.12) Do the staffs ask for more money than

the prescribed fee?

(b.13) Are you satisfied with the cooperation of

the CSC staff on duty?

(b.14) Is there any delay in submission of

forms at the counter?

Common Service Centers Facilities

(a) Do you know common service centre

provides following services?

(Check Yes if already known)

(a.1) Issue of Birth Certificate

(a.2) Issue of Death Certificate

(a.3) Issue of Licenses

(a.4) Issue of Dependent Certificate

(a.5) Issue of Bus Passes

(a.6) Issue of Dependent Certificate

(a.7) Issue of Unmarried Certificate

(a.8) Issue of ID-Card

(a.9) Registration of Vehicle related services

(a.10) Issue of Affidavits

(a.11) Submission of Passport Applications

(a.12) Issue of No Objection Certificates

(a.13) Services to Pensioners

(a.14) Issue of Marriage Certificate

(b) Do you know the procedure to get

the services from Common Service

Centre?

(c) Which services have you ever accessed

from CSC centre?

(c.1) Issue of Birth Certificate

(c.2) Issue of Death Certificate

(c.3) Issue of Licenses

(c.4) Issue of Dependent Certificate

(c.5) Issue of Bus Passes

(c.6) Issue of Dependent Certificate

(c.7) Issue of Unmarried Certificate

(c.8) Issue of ID-Card

(c.9) Registration with Road Transport

Office(RTO)

(c.10) Issue of Affidavits

(c.11) Submission of Passport Applications

(c.12) Issue of No Objection Certificates

(c.13) Services to Pensioners

(c.14) Issue of Marriage Certificate

(c.15) Issue of Bus/ Train Passes.

(d) Do you know that you can check the status

of your queries at website of CSC centre?

(If Yes, attempt the following)

(d.1) Are you satisfied with the services

provided by CSC’s centre?

(d.2) Do you think some other services should be available at CSC centre ?

If Yes, Please mention:

E-Governance in Hilly Areas

(e) According to you, what are the reasons due

to them e-Governance is not successful

implemented in Hilly Area?

(Please tick from the given factors)

(e.1) Illiteracy

(e.2) Digital Divide

(e.3) Improper Infrastructure

(e.4) Shortage of funds

(e.5) Government policies

(e.6) Available at Short Distance

(e.7) Not proper road to reach the CSC

(e.8) Cost involved to visit a CSC

(e.9) Non-existence of kiosks in Villages.

Helps in Controlling Corruption

(f) CSC is helps in controlling corruption?

(If Yes, Please choose from the reasons

given below)

(f.1) Single window system to apply

(f.2) Applying directly to CSC

(f.3) Work completed with in a time period

(f.4) Government officials are responsible for

their assigned work

(f.5) No person will have to come face to face

Interaction with a government officials

Which helps in to reduce corruption.

General terms about Uttarakhand

(g) General terms about Uttarakhand,

are you already familiar?

(g.1) Population 10,086,292

(g.1) Literacy rate is about 78.82%

(g.2) Rural population is 69.77%.

(g.3) Urban population is 30.23%.

(g.4) Number of CSC centres at

Uttarakhand level is 1641.

(g.5)Name of Project Consultant:-

Unit A – M/s Nekton IT India Private Ltd. (NIIPL)

Unit B – M/s Reliance Communication Ltd

Unit C – M/s Reliance Communication Ltd

(g.5) Roll out of CSCs as under in –

Unit A (Dehradun, Uttarkashi,

Rudraprayag and Tehri ) – 706 Unit B (Haridwar, Chamoli,Pauri Garhwal,

Almora, Bageshwar) – 1394 Unit C (Nainital, Pithoragarh, Champawat,

Udham Singh Nagar) – 704

(g.6) Total cost of implementing a CSCs is

about Rs 2.56 crores

Role of Uttarakhand Government

(h.1) All government services will be put online.

(h.2) Common service centres will be opened throughout the state to give single window for all government work.

(h.3) State Data Centre would provide many functionalities like Central Repository of the State, Secure Data Storage, Online Delivery of Services, Citizen Information/Services Portal,

State Intranet Portal, Disaster Recovery,

Remote Management and Service

Integration etc.

(h.4) The e-District project is developed to

improve the efficiency of the various

Departments under the district-level to

enable seamless service delivery to the

citizen

.

(h.5) Uttarakhand State Wide Area Network

(UK-SWAN) UK-SWAN project is almost

in the final stage of completion by 13

establishing around 135 POPs in all the

Districts, 84 Tehsils and 95 Blocks in the

state.

(h.6) Many Uttarakhand departments like Forest

Department, Police Department, Finance Department, Tourism Department and Cooperative Department etc. are taken up for formulation of MMPs initially. Some projects are as- Gyanotkarsh

(low-interest/easily repayable loans to all government employees and teachers for purchase of computers for the home segment),

Aarohi (distribution of Computers in schools),

Shikhar (Computer education through colleges),

Shiksha (Provide training to teachers of government/ non government schools)

Conclusion

Improvement in the e-Governance services in rural or hilly areas is needed for its overall effective and efficient implementation. This questionnaire also helps to find some factors are considered due to which rural or hilly area people are not able to access e-Governance services and setting the stage for the transformation from e-Government to m-Government.

References:

1. Home.nic.in/projects/e-district-uttarakhand
2. www.uk.gov.in
3. Egov.elesonline.com/2013/03/e-governance-in-dev-bhoomi
4. Itda.uk.gov.in/pages/displays/995-csc
5. http://www.census2011.co.in/census/state/uttarakhand.html
6. http://itda.uk.gov.in/pages/display/995-csc
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Wide_Area_ Network
8. https://sites.google.com/site/uttarakhandswan/

Appendix

A questionnaire on survey of Implementation Factor That Affect E-Governance In Uttarakhand.

Please take few minutes to fill out the questionnaire.

1.Name:

2.Gender: Female:

3.Age: 18-25 25-35 35-45 45-55 55-65 65-70

4:City/Village:

5:State: