J&K decides to become SMART

NEW DELHI: The infotech fever has now spread to Jammu & Kashmir. In a welcome development, the trouble-torn state has launched a computerization drive, the blueprint of which is being developed by Delhi-based Telecompetence. The company is a telecom consulting joint venture between Nepostel of the Netherlands and Telia of Sweden. The first phase of the project will be completed by September.

Telecompetence has captured the J&K e-governance initiative in the acronym, SMART which stands for simple, manageable and morale, accountability, responsibility and transparency. The project envisages how to facilitate interaction between G2G (government to government) and G2C (government to citizen).

Says Telecompetence managing director Rothin Bhattacharya, "Unlike other states, the administrative process in J&K is linear and therefore the project is crucial to facilitate dissemination of information." It has recommended the wiring up of the state up to the tehsil level. The pilot project will see 14 districts being connected with major departments like revenue, finance, education and planning. Considering the sensitive environment prevailing in the state, the recommendations include a spectrum of security measures to protect the network from hackers and to install the public kiosks in government premises rather than at public places like in other states.

The proposal will be submitted to the government for approval. "The tender for developing the blueprint was floated in February and by June we were selected. Soon after that, we started work on the project and are in the process of making the estimations for the project right now," says Raman Sikand, who is handling the project at Telecompetence. A team of 16 professionals are stationed at Srinagar, working on the project on a full-time basis.