e-governance Initiative: No desired result

BHUBANESWAR: The e-Governance initiative of the State Government failed to achieve desired result due to lack of commitment at the top administrative level. A part of the Orissa Modernising Government Initiative (OMGI), a DFID- funded administrative reforms programme, was launched in 2006 with an objective to ensure better services to the public, mostly to the rural poor, by improving the service delivery mechanism. An administrative reforms cell was set up to monitor the reforms programmes which were executed under the guidance of the State project management unit (SPMU). As per the work plan, DFID provided financial assistance under the Orissa Public Sector Reforms Programme (OPSRP) in two phases ending 2008. The efforts of the first three years of OMGI were to be upscaled thereafter by integrating the programme components into the core of administration. But this never happened due to lackadaisical approach of the Government.  The OMGI was mandated to conduct a department-wise study of ICT (information communication technology) applications and its enhancement to improve the efficiency by cutting down in decision-making process and ensuing better access of citizens to government services. Although computerisation of government departments started long back, manual paper work is still in vogue in all the departments. Ministerial staff preferred to do all official works through files  rather than opting for computers. This is despite strict instruction from the Government to all its officials to be computer savvy. Special training programmes were conducted periodically to update them about the operating system and use of new software. At a recent meeting of all secretaries, Chief Secretary BK Patnaik requested his bureaucrat colleagues to ensure that computerisation programme is implemented at all levels of the administration. The ARC has initiated the process of evaluating department wise computerisation programmes, development of department website and its acceptability among the citizens. The reform cell is advising all the departments to make the official website citizen-centric by improving its quality so that general people will get maximum benefit without going to Government offices. It is seen that many Government departments are not updating the department website on a regular basis inconveniencing the public. The administrative reform cell (ARC) which functions under the administrative control of the General Administration Department needs to be strengthened first, said a senior officer adding an officer of the rank of Principal Secretary should head the cell.