Center takes a cue from Karnataka’s e-gov initiative

NEW DELHI: Pramod Mahajan, Union minister for parliamentary affairs, communication and information technology has announced the latest e-government plans initiated by the Center. In what could well prove to be a landmark decision, especially in the wake of Rajya Sabha showing signs of clearing the Right to Information Bill by the last week of December, the Department of Information Technology (DIT) has sanctioned the cost of replicating the best practices of the Karnataka 'Bhoomi' project in any one district in all the 28 states and union territories of the country.

It may be recalled that Bhoomi is the self-sustainable e-governance project for the computerized delivery of 20 million rural land records in Karnataka to 6.7 million farmers through 177 Government owned kiosks. Speaking at the first national conference of the State Revenue & IT Secretaries on Land Record Management System in the city, Mahajan informed that a MoU is to expected to be signed by the state governments and the DIT to the same effect.

"There was a clause that once the rollout begins, the digitization of land records will have to be over by the next three years. But that particular clause has been removed keeping in mind the forthcoming elections. E-governance should be a apolitical issue," asserted the Minister.

The cost of infrastructure is however to be borne by the individual states. DIT assistance would be in the form of comprehensive technical and financial support for a limited implementation in the identified district as well as technical assistance for a complete roll out over the whole state on a self sustaining model based on nominal user charges.

The given time frame to complete this exercise and replicate the 'Bhoomi' program would be one year. The model district would be selected by each state based on self assessment of given indicators such as presence of IT infrastructure, affordable connectivity, citizens' keenness to use IT tools, presence of technical and professional educational institutions and relevant growth indicators.