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The spending on e-governance is expected to cross Rs 4,000 crore this year, according to a survey. This is 30 per cent more than last year's figure of Rs 3,014 crore. By 2009, it will touch Rs 10,000 crore. To put it in perspective, India spends close to Rs 1,00,000 crore on the social sector, and e-governance can speed-up government projects and plug leakages. A look at how the e-governance initiative is spreading in the country. India's e-Governance market is on a high growth trajectory. From a Rs 3,014 crore industry in 2005, it is expected to escalate 30 per cent to Rs 4,000 crore, according to a study conducted by independent ICT (Information and Communications Technology) think tank, Skoch Consultancy Services. Driving the growth will be projects like the Common Services Centres (CSC) of the Department of Information Technology. CSCs, a strategic cornerstone of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), are aimed at making all government services accessible to the common man in his locality. It is an attempt to reach government services into the deep interior of the country. The deployment of CSCs in every nook and corner of the country is a major growth driver. 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. The survey covers e-governance projects in all the states, gives data on applications being used in each state and in central government departments in terms of transactions handled or hits. This will be clubbed with the e-governance report card that assesses some of these projects on various qualitative parameters like ease of use, reduction in corruption, affordability of service and efficiency of staff. Computerising National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is one such initiative. Major IT induction plans are also underway at both the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Other significant initiatives include realigning the Department of Posts to provide banking and financial services up-to the last mile. While National Informatics Center (NIC) continues to play a pivotal role in deploying e-governance schemes, private players have also made substantial inroads, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) carving nearly 12 per cent market share for e-governance. 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. Interesting examples of e-governance at the local level are Lokvani Centres in Sitapur District in UP, CHOiCE and e-Gram Suraj at Chhattisgarh. Lokvani Centers aim at a single window grievance redressal service that tackles citizen complaints ranging from pensions and land disputes to unresolved theft cases. Sitapur has 49 such kiosks and another 500 are planned for UP. CHOiCE has a different strategy in store. Its purpose is to have a one-stop solution for anytime, anywhere government services for the citizen. It provides services like IT education, land records, municipal services, and obtaining various certificates etc. e-Gram Suraj at Chhattisgarh takes an initiative to help the village sarpanch access data on entire village. Assessing sectors like land, natural resources, healthcare, livelihood and social justice using a handheld device are some of its features. Having filtered into Customs and Income Tax, information technology can now enable a vessel get clearance in less than 24 hours, only 5 hours for an importer to take his shipment out at the Chennai port. With assessment and duty payments being done online, Customs officials face minimum interface with importers. A PAN card application can now be made online and delivery taken in seven days. The Online Tax Administration System (OLTAS) by the income tax department allows for online filing of an e-TDS return.
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