TS goes for digital push

The youngest state, Telangana, is all set to become a role model in the area of electronic service delivery (ESD) as part of its commitment of administrative reforms by leveraging Information, Communication and Technology (ICT). The initiative is aimed at offering good governance besides easy delivery of welfare benefits to the rural masses. The state has inherited the electronic governance platform along with Hyderabad city.

The city has seeming online infrastructure and even won the global laurels for its software export and development capabilities by way of housing global giants in the area of software development. The ESD platform consists of 2 applications termed – e-Seva, Mee Seva – a technology-rich e-governance initiative drawing synergies with State’s IT infrastructure such as State Wide Area Network (SWAN), State Data Centre (SDC) and Digital Signature Platforms.

In order to make the digital platform more operational, it requires re-engineering the governmental processes and active participation of governmental departments. Accordingly, the government departments have to share the information with digitally signed data in a collaborative manner to the central ESD platform, which is a key for smooth delivery of public service across all the counters. Sources in the departments reveal that a detailed workflow is built into the system which can monitor the citizen request right from application to the service delivery, which is seamless.

The ESD platform has to pass through the test of ‘Governance through Accountability, Transparency and Innovation’ (GATI), which is considered as bedrock for good governance. This platform will provide convenience to the citizen in obtaining the government services without bar on time and location. About 32 departments and 500 and odd services will be offered through this platform. Thus, ESD has become a trusted tool of the government for not only the treasury and CARD systems but also the civil supplies, Agriculture (subsidies dispensation), TSMDC (sand mining management), Elections (local bodies polls management), power (distribution and management), municipal administration, and Panchayat Raj.

In a way, the ESD will become a front-office for the government which delivers digital certificates, social audit, vigilance and alerts.
The electronic delivery systems, which was began in 1999, under united Andhra Pradesh, though in a small way in Hyderabad with just 2 centers, today operates in about 113 centers and 3,900 franchises.

Digital Telangana
The Digital Telangana, a program was launched by KT Rama Rao, IT Minister in July 2015, which revolves around two objects – supply side and demand side. On the supply side, the State has wide OFC, 4G and Wi-Fi services in major cities and towns, e-Panchayat scheme by setting up One-Stop-Shop kiosks in each of village. To use these services, there is a need to create demand for it, by empowering them with training.

In its endeavor to take the government services to the doorstep of the citizen, government has plans to promote computer training programmes right from schooling and set up more digital service delivery centres. The IT department, with the active participation of others, took various programmes at village, Mandal, district and state levels. Besides, Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Nalgonda and Medak, where the services have already been delivered through e-service mode, the focus is now on Warangal and Nizamabad, says the officials of the department.

The Telangana Fiber Grid is being developed on the lines of Telangana Drinking Water Supply Project (TDWSP). The fiber optic network will be developed on-route with water pipelines connecting each of the village and home. While, the ‘BharatNet’ programme will also being twined with the state Fiber Grid programme. According to the senior officials, the government is planning to incorporate a ‘special purpose vehicle’ christened Telangana Fiber Grid, to carry-out the fiber optic network in the state.

Hopefully, the proposed company will have joint partnership of central and state governments. Thus, all these initiatives are moving towards making the state as a ‘giant village’ by connecting digitally, which offers not just government services but a convenient living in the state.