E-Governance in an Indian State (Andhra Pradesh) - Implementation, Experience & People's Perception
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e-Governance in an Indian State (Andhra Pradesh) –
Implementation, Experience & People’s Perception
T. H. Chowdary
Center for Telecom Management & Studies
Plot No. 8, P&T Colony, Karkhana (Secunderabad), Hyderabad - 500 009.
available. The revenue collections are also partial
Abstract involving both avoidance as well as evasion and
misappropriation by the collectors. State Governments are
There has been a spectacular rise of very often having recourse to ways and means drawals,
Information Technology (IT) and software professionals from the Reserve Bank of India because their treasury
and businesses in India in the decade 1994-2004. What management is bad. Over time, Government has also
came to be known as Y2K problem, primarily in the become the largest dispenser of welfare to people
developed countries gave the opportunity to tens of especially, to certain sections on welfare hostels,
thousands of Indian software business and professionals reimbursement of tuition fees in schools and colleges,
to enter international markets. The state Governments of loans for weaker section housing and so on. Citizens’
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh emerged as home for grievances are attended if at all, with inordinate delay, if
hundreds of fastest growing ICT and software companies at all. Citizens are being required to go to different offices
providing tens of thousands of well-paid jobs. In 1998, to pay for services like water and electricity, property tax,
the new Government that took office in Delhi saw the etc. Parents want caste and income and property
potential of IT and software for India to emerge as a certificates when they seek admissions for children in
leading exporter of services. The Chief Minister of the schools and colleges; citizens have to go to different
state of Andhra Pradesh evangelised ICTs and education offices like the Regional Transport Authority or renewing
as the engine for economic development and good their driving license, to the railways, airlines and
governance. A Vision document was prepared which passenger bus transport companies for reservations. They
among others envisaged e-governance of the State and are wasting lot of time and money and encounter
building up of the hard and soft infrastructures for indifference and discourteous service. Use of information
exploitation of ICTs across the economy (industry, technology (I.T) for computerization of all activities
business, education, health, Government, welfare,……). connected with these, will greatly enhance efficiency and
While the educated and the enterprising were enthused economy in Government and citizens will have less pain
and getting benefitted, the voting masses used to promises and hence less disaffection for Government. It is these
of poverty-eradication, and subsidies for food, housing, thoughts that led to the Government of Andhra Pradesh to
electricity, education, etc., saw ICTs as beneficial only to the project for “electronic government”. A vision for this
the rich and as neglective of the poor. The benefits of was created in 1997 and when the Prime Minister
the e-governance have not become ubiquitous to affect the appointed the National Task Force for Information
common man’s life, especially rent-seeking by Technology and Software, the fully worked out ideas of
Government servants. The opposition political parties the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and his Adviser (the
were able to make the voting masses believe that the author) were incorporated into the Task Force’s
promotion of ICTs and e-governance etc., were the reason recommendations so that they would become all India
for the neglect of agriculture and hence the rural people, policies.
especially the poor. This paper describes and discusses E-governance is one of the important
envisionment, implementation, experience and people’s applications of information technology (I.T). I.T
perception and lessons from all these. profoundly improves efficiency and effectiveness in
government and its responsiveness and transparency for
the public. Almost all of the State governments and
1. I.T for and in Government the Union government in India are having a number of
e-governance projects under implementation . The
Governments in the States and at the Center have recommendation of the National Task Force on
become the largest takers and spenders of peoples’ Informatin Technology and Software constituted by the
money, collected by way of taxes and loans. There is lot Prime Minister in 1998 that upto 2% of the government’s
of inefficient and ineffective spending because among budget may be utilized for computerization of all work
others, information for management and control is notin government and introduction e-governance was government records almost every family in the
aprpoved. A few governments like that of Andhra constituency must have been provided with one
Pradesh had even prepared a Vision 2020 document for “weaker section housing”! The expenditure
the all- round development of the State . IT is to be used incurred was not unstaggering. He would then
extensively and intensively as an engine for powering tell the MLA that get the following attended
the development works . This paper highlights some of to immediately: get the completed houses
the gains, problems and experiences in evolving and occupied by getting them electricity, water or a
implementing e-governance projects with special road or whatever is lacking; expedite the
reference to Andhra Pradesh . completion of the constructions that are already
The use of management information system in hand and are at various stages; if you get
(MIS) for optimizing the performance of an enterprise is these done in the next 3 to 6 months , I will
known for long and is well established. The use of sanction not the 250 that you are asking but
telecommunications and IT for MIS makes MIS a real 500 . A print out of all the record is given to the
time decision aid for Managers at all levels . In view of MLA. He walks out satisfied and then
governments being the single largest takers of peoples becomes as much responsible as the CM in
wealth (by taxes and loans) every year; as the largest getting the work completed and getting the
spender and procurer of goods and services and also the biggest bang for the buck. This is the power of
purveyor of welfare to millions of people, An ICT- ICT in government for good governance.
enabled MIS greatly enhances the proper use of
resources and the most cost- effective way of dispensing Soon after the monsoon rains there is the scourge
the costly welfare . In India the total cost of projects that of gastro enteritis. The state Health Department,
are continuing uncompleted have already eaten up Rs. the Water Supply Department and the
100,000 crore, ($ 22 bln.) without yielding any result, government Information Department should all
some of them for over decades. How ICT-based MIS and be brought together to tackle the possible
project management could have benefited us can be incidence of gastro- enteritis and the consequent
gauged from a few illustrations: sickness and deaths . The CM calls for a video-
An MLA meets with the Chief Minister (CM) conference with all the District Collectors,
and requests that 250 more houses should be (District Magistrates) district Health Officers,
sanctioned in his constituency under the weaker Panchayat Raj engineers (in-charge of water
section housing scheme. A first or second supply) and the Information Department all over
generation CM would give one of the the State. Every District Collectorate is
following responses: We don’t have funds; I equipped with video-conferencing and all the
will have the position examined by the districts are connected on the state -wide area
Principal Secretary in-charge of welfare; I will net-work ( SWAN) to the capital city . A video
consider this in the next year’s programs. And conference is held, district-wise by the CM and
the MLA goes away dissatisfied. However a the staff in the Secretariat; while the position of
third generation CM like the IT-savvy CM of preventive and tackling measures in a District are
Andhra Pradesh responded as follows. All the reviewed and directions are given, all are
information about the weaker section hosing listening and depending upon what type of
schemes from the second 5-year plan onwards questions are asked and what messages are given
is available in the computerized data bank, every one is preparing for an effective
district -wise, Mandal (Tahsil) –wise, MLA and exchange of information and discussion and
MPs constituency-wise. He gets this information decisions are taken. The figures for the previous
on his lap-top for the constituency of the years are available and the measurers to be taken
interlocuting MLA and shows it to him and and in what stage these are, who are
explains as to on how many schemes, how many responsible for what, as well as the
houses had been sanctioned year after year, how performance of the concerned officers are all
many were completed and occupied, how many discussed. Such conferences have energized
had come up to the roof level but not and activated the cutting edge officials and the
completed, how many have come upto the machinery. Almost every day, such a state-
plinth level and stopped there; how many are wise conference is being held on the SWAN.
completed but not occupied for want of The working of the public distribution system,
electricity or water or a link road or any other drought relief, flood control, performance of
reason; and what is the expenditure incurred . schools are all, periodically and systematically
The figures tell a dismal and a fantastic story. reviewed in this manner.
According to the sanctions and expenditureThe radio, TV and the cable TV media are used 3. e-Governance Projects in Andhra Pradesh
for enabling the public to interrogate officers
and Ministers and for the latter to educate Some of the significant projects for electronic
people and to explain to them the programs and governance and Government services to citizens (C2G)
policies of the government. For example, every in Andhra Pradesh are briefly presented here.
Monday, for one hour, the CM of Andhra
Pradesh is on the radio and TV. The subject to 3.1. Conferencing
be discussed along with a lot of explanatory and
informative material is advertised in All the district towns are linked connected to the State
newspapers two days before. The program capital, Hyderabad by optical fiber cable based, 2-mbps
opens with a 10 to 15 mintue talk by the CM telecommunication links and networked APSWAN
and questions are taken on toll-free telephones. (Andhra Pradesh State Wide Area Network) is for
There is no holds barred questioning. Answers multiple uses like video conferencing, telephony and data
are given most frankly, and the questions that transmission. Every district headquarter is equipped for
cannot be answered for want of time during the video conferencing, accommodating 20-50 people. Issues
program, could be sent by fax or email and concerning every department are discussed in a video
replies are sent in the next few days. Such conference between the commissioners and the
programs are obligated on Collectors and Secretaries and Ministers in Hyderabad and all district
Superintendent of Police, and Municipal level officers in the district towns of the State. These
Commissioners using cable TV and radio. conferences have been greatly enhancing the
implementation of various projects and schemes with
2. Infrastructure for e-Governance great speed and with least waste. The network is now
engaged for 15-16 hours a day and sometimes more to
Reliable, secure, broad-band telecommunications meet the requirements of various ministries and
covering the entire territory and all the administrative departments.
units of the government upto Panchayat level are
essential . A state wide area network (SWAN) utilizing 3.2. Treasuries
optical fiber connectivity of the telephone companies to
link up all the district towns to the State capital and in Work in about 240 treasuries of the State has
each town, linking up all government offices to the been computerized The accounting for money received
Collectorate (that is where the SWAN acts as node) is to and disbursed is transmitted daily to the Government in
be established. Leased lines and point to multi-point Hyderabad facilitating the proper management of funds.
wireless are used below the district level . Although
Andhra Pradesh was the first with a SWAN Currently work on the networking of all the
incorporating video conferencing capability, Gujarat computerized treasuries is under way . When completed,
appears to have done the utmost by extending the it will be possible for registration of documents
SWAN and video conferencing facility upto he Taluka pertaining to the property in one town by people not
level all over the State. In order to minimize the having to go there but getting that work done in the
investment and also to ensure that the network treasury office in any town in the State .
performs all the while, the system is contracted to a
private company with the government putting in 26% 3.3. e-Procurement
of the capital required and reserving right to acquire the
full ownership of the network after five years. Of course The Government of Andhra Pradesh (GOAP)
government will never go for this option . GOAP is buys goods and services to the extent of 10,000 cr. per
planning for a captive telecom network which will be for year. There are a few thousand tenders every year.
all services ( telephony, FAX, data, video) for all Some of them especially regarding roads and buildings
government needs, with gateways to public-switched are a big racket with contractor forming “rings”, hiking
telecom networks, at one or more towns in each district the rates and distributing the works between
for government –citizen communications. Private themselves. The time taken to decide a tender is
Telephone Companies are liberally given rights-of-way unusually long with attendant cost and time over -runs.
for laying optical fiber cables and allowed to use Government therefore in pursuit of reducing costs,
Government properties like tall buildings for mounting improving efficiency and bringing about transparency
radio antennas and location of radio-base stations. and to put out the “rings” decided on the project of e-
procurement. Notices inviting tenders are put on a
website. These can be downloadable and no printedcopies are sold. Who is filling up tenders and from pay on the property that is being transacted and then the
where is not known to the tenderers as the tenders are to document is to be registered. This work in all the 240
be put electronically . Departments were asked to registration offices in the State had been computerized..
volunteer to go in for e-procurement . The idea was that Earlier, people had to make several visits to the registrar’s
unless there must be ownership of technology for the office, spread over several days to get their documents.
new system to become a success. Now the ascertainment of the mutation/encumbrance and
A few departments /offices were initially chosen the stamp duty takes no more than 10-15 minutes. The
and the number is increasing. A few of the notable registered document is given over to the party within half
achievements are: an hour. The convenience to the citizens is immense.
• In regard to the first complement of 52 e-tenders When all these Registrars’ offices are all linked, then it is
estimated to cost 350 cr., e-tendering saved 78 possible that a transaction, say in Visakhapatnam can be
cr. or 23%. The rings which used to be completed from Hyderabad itself. We can guess how
scandalously collusive are eliminated . The greatly relieved the concerned citizens will be.
anonymity from one another of the tenderers
was the greatest contributing factor for 3.5. Electronic Seva or e-Seva
elimination of rings . Tenders were electronically
received from States other than Andhra Pradesh This is one of the most beneficent and greatly appreciated
also. schemes of information technology and computerization
• The manual tendering process was taking, on the for the benefit of citizens. It was first implemented in
average 150 days for award of the work. It is Hyderabad and is being extended to over 40 more towns.
now reduced to 20 days. Briefly, over 40 services like payment of property tax,
• 394 tenders for works/goods amounting to Rs. electricity and water bills, rail and bus reservations, filing
1000 cr. were in the process of decision in of applications for passports, and returns of income and
Feb-2004. Another 423 tenders, estimated to commercial tax returns, obtaining a caste certificate or
amount Rs. 640 cr. were put on the web renewal of driving licenses, municipal trade licenses and
• The Commissionerate of Tenders processes the drug licenses etc could all be done from one of the e-
tenders and awards the contracts . It is a inter- Seva centers which are spread all over the city/town. As
departmental high-powered commission. more and more are opened, the distance to be traveled by
• Important procurers are Irrigation & citizen decreases, so does the time that he spends. That he
Command Area Development; Roads & can transact 30 jobs at one place, by sitting in front of one
Buildings, Public health, and Panchayati Raj; ( counter is an immense relief. Importantly, there is a
engineering wings) APSRTC; Andhra Pradesh change in the mentality of the Government servant at the
Medical Health, Infrastructure Development e-Seva centers. He no longer thinks that he is employee of
Corporation, Tribal welfare and AP Technology electricity or water board or railway department but he
Services. Others being prepared are the now thinks he is a servant of the people because he is
Singareni- Collieries, Andhra Pradesh dispensing several services on behalf of several
TRANSCO (electricity) and Andhra Pradesh departments to the citizen.
Discom and Municipalities. When fully The e-Seva is extended now (November 2003) to
implemented, government will have savings of 117 Municipalities of the State . Some Municipalities
Rs 2,300 cr. annually. like Visakhapatnam had launched their own e-Seva
• The commission paid to the company for type facility under the name Saukaryam (Suvidha or
maintaining and operating the e-tendering convenience) . Such initiatives are most welcome . These
system is 0.24% of the value of the tender are integrated with the e-Seva and are co-branded.
award. On Rs. 10,000 cr. of procurement, the
outgo will be Rs. 24 cr. ( being negotiated to be 3.6. SKIMS (Secretariat Knowledge Information
half) and the saving will be Rs. 2,300 cr. Management System - This was later
renamed as SMARTGOV)
3.4. CARD (Computer Assisted Registration of There is a huge amount of file work in the
Documents) Government secretariat. Within the secretariat a large
number of files circulate and the delays are inordinate and
Citizens have to go to Registrars’ Offices for no body can get information quickly as to what matter
registering sale of properties. They would like to know stands at what stage. In the project SKIMS the work in
the encumbrance or the mutations for say up to 50 years. each department and commissionerate is being
They want to know what is the stamp duty they have tocomputerized. The movement of a file is known. The 3.11. STD/ISD Booths as Internet & E-Seva
sections exchange information through e-mail. Outlets
3.7. A.P. Government Portal Government has decided that all the STD / ISD public
telephones especially those in rural and remote areas
If a citizen wants to place some grievance of his must be transformed into public Internet kiosks so that
or seek information from the Government, he is at a loss. those who can’t afford a private telephone and an
He has to go from office to office or engage touts. This Internet connection can still have access to the global
can be avoided. He could be navigated through the huge telecoms and Internet for availing of all the benefits that
maze of Government office. The answer is Andhra they confer. While in cities, the private ISPs are opening
Pradesh Government Portal. Persons can access this public Internet kiosks because they are good business,
through the Internet and by a series of clicks on the government must be responsible to get the operators of
mouse, he can go to the concerned department or the STD/ ISD booths in rural areas to update themselves
commissioner or secretary and file his communication or into Internet Kiosks. They would require subsidies
download the information he wants. especially because their earnings from telephony are
going down with the introduction of the inexpensive IP
3.8. e-Cops telephony. The Government of Andhra Pradesh is, in this
regard showing the way to the rest of the country. In a
The work in the police stations, to start with in private public partnership program 5000 operators of
Hyderabad, is computerized. FIRs and information can the STD/ISD PTs in villages are being assisted by the
be filed by citizens from any Internet kiosk or from their government by outright subsidy plus interest free loan to
own Internet -connected PC. The linking of the police upgrade themselves . Banks are also brought into this
stations and the e-COP system is making their actions scheme
swift and effective.
4. I.T. For Human Resource Development
3.9. FAST (Fully Automated Services of the
Transport Department) 4.1. How is IT to be utilised for Economic and
Human Development apart, from for
Issuance of temporary and permanent and Efficiency and Transparency in
regular driving license, registration of vehicles, Government?
collection of fees and fines ( for polluting vehicles) are
computerized in 37 offices in the state. The result of this, quest is the Vision 2020
document. The greatest resource that a state or a country
3.10. OLTP (On Line Transaction Processing) or a nation can have is its people . For this purpose, they
are to be very well educated and should be aspiring and
There are 1,140 Mandals (called Tehsils enterprising . What is to be accomplished by them, so
elsewhere, the third tear of state administration). The are in what areas, and in what manner by people and
work in and the services from the Mandal offices are government is brought out in this document. What could
computerized. The Mandals are getting networked to be the development projects, industries, trades and
cover hospitals, Public Health Centers (PHC) , municipal services that are Could be most likely to succeed are
offices and Panchayats. Multipurpose information kiosks captured in the Vision 2020 document. Since societies
are being opened in villages . The services are woven and nations are rapidly evolving into knowledge based
around the citizen and land record data bases. A economies and since that requires extensive use of IT &
comprehensive multi-purpose house-hold survey software with telecommunications as infrastructure,
(MPHS) was carried out a few years ago creating government has decided to make IT as the engine for
computerized records for over 15 mil house-holds in efficiency in every branch of economy and life of the
respect of every citizen in the state. This can be accessed people. Realizing that the largest market for Indian
from all the networked offices like Mandals. This will professionals is in the area of IT and s/w and engineering,
speed up information transaction between the Mandal government inspired and facilitated peoples’ enterprises
and the offices higher up in the hierarchy, in addition to to put up colleges for engineering, MCA and MBA . For
speedy serving of information sought by citizens . engineering alone, the number of colleges went up from
35 in 1997 to 220 by the year 2002. Government
policies are to see, that these come up more or less
evenly in the entire territory of the state. These colleges
will be producing about 63,000 engineers per year ofwhom about 15,000 would be in the IT and Government undertaking which is also equipped with a
communications area. The State is producing about number of I.T. and software professionals. The concerned
10,000 MCAs ( Master of Computer Applications) department, the APTSL and the I.T.&C Department work
Realizing that IT-Enabled services have a huge potential in concert to develop the specifications, write the bids and
for job creation, a course in BCA (Bachelor in award the contracts. Everything is outsourced.
Computer Applications) was started in over 200 colleges. A large number of initiatives were taken in the
Computer skills are compulsory for all teachers in every last five years by the government of Andhra Pradesh
branch in the universities. Internet connection is for large scale computisation of government work ,
approved for all colleges, all public libraries and all especially that which interfaces with citizens .
government offices and all Public Health Centers. Government officials have been for long looked at
computerization with doubt and fright on counts like
4.2. Computer Education in Schools reduction in staff, transparency that might reduce their
power over citizens and of course, the natural reluctance
We are defining education to include computer skills . to change their traditional style and purpose of work.
Therefore computer education is being imparted from Very wisely, in which ever area like for ex: the
standard VI on wards to start with in 1000 government registration department, computerisation was undertaken
high schools in the state. The equipment and teaching is only after intensive and extensive interaction with the
outsourced so that the expense will have commensurate staff. Very senior officers including the Minister spoke
the results. The private company imparting education to the staff, invited questions and took them through
will be paid in relation to the results. Many high schools training programs . The Director General of the
have already been imparting computer skills. registration department has himself become a computer -
skilled and savvy person and it was under his direction
Outside the working hours of the school, the and none from outside that computersation all the 240
private company imparting computer education can offices was successfully completed. Since the design and
utilize the facility for training people in the village as development of the applications involved the lowest
well as rendering Internet services for the villagers. ranks of cutting edge government officials, the project
was a tremendous success. This is the lesson for other
5. Implementation departments in government of Andhra Pradesh and
should be the lesson for all in India.
How is this work being done? Tremendous The drafting of the specifications and the terms
preparation is necessary. Employees are informed of the and conditions to be laid down in the bids were worked
objectives and enthused about the new way of doing out in collaboration with the IT & s/w companies for,
work. Skills are imparted to the officials to work on PCs. none in the government has been having all this
For example, in the Secretariat there are 2,500 PCs, all of expertise. The National Informatic Center (NIC) which
them on a network. The officials had to be trained. So has been computerizing the statistical work in a
were the Secretaries and Ministers. Government set up a number of departments, mainly with a view to aid the
special institution for this training. It is going to be planning process and the Computer Maintenance
supplemented by the National Institute for e-Governance Corporation of India (till recently government -owned
that will be located in Hyderabad. The architecture for the enterprise) were in the initial stages used as resources in
computerized offices of all the Government departments order to train our own people in the Andhra Pradesh
was first laid down. Departments are given freedom to Technology Service Ltd. (APTSL) . The APTSL was built
pick up works to be computerized first and also freedom up as interface between government departments and
to award the work on their own. The newly created private companies which were bidding for the work. In
Information Technology and Communications (ITC) the process. APTSL itself has been gaining considerable
Department works provides all the know-how and advice expertise for writing specification consultation with
to every department. Annual plans are drawn up. The bidders, laying down parameters for selection, awarding
departments are required to volunteer for the programmes. the work and getting it implemented. Committees
In each one of them, there is a Chief Information Officer. evaluated tenders for award of the work. In this
The idea is that the computerization work is owned by fashion, the concerned departments are owning up the
each department and not thrust upon it. As every project as theirs and not as one which is imposed from
department has to inter-work with several others, there is outside. One of the main reasons for the not
an over -all plan as to which departments and what works inconsiderable success is the self -motivated and
within the department will be computerized, in what knowledgeable leadership of the Chief Minister himself
period so that maximum benefit of computerization is of the e-governance projects. Frequent reviews and
achieved. Tendering and award is done by the Andhra direction at various stages of the process ensured that
Pradesh Technology Services Limited (APTSL), a state the considerable freedom given to departments did notdetract from the unity of the work . Misgivings, this in every other state intending to computerizes its
reluctance or indifference had all been over-come registration work ? Customization could be incorporated
because of the infectious enthusiasm and involvement of in implementation to meet with each State’s specific
many of the secretaries and ministers. requirements. The country would be saving a lot of
One important policy of the government Andhra money as well as completing the e-governance project
Pradesh has been the private –public partnership (PPP). It in much less time. Governments which are taking up
is known that no government is endowed with financial the e-governance projects later are doing better in certain
resources and that government ownership of an enterprise, respects compared to those who under took this much
be it in service or production area, is not a great success. earlier; the later mover is having the advantage of
Therefore, we have been involving private enterprises benefiting from experiences of the earlier movers.
for investment for implementation of the project and for I believe that the IT department of the Union
its operation and management – a build -own -operate government should call for a conference of the all the
(BOO) arrangement. Some times, government takes up State governments and bring them to agree for mutual
an equity position to assure the private enterprise about cooperation division of work and adoption and
the continued support by government for its viability replication of applications and the best practices. Also,
and prestige. It is the CM’s involvement and inspiration utilization of the common agencies in order to bring
that is bringing private enterprises into service which about economies of scale as well as speed of work
are not expected to be remunerative for quite some time. would be desirable. The aim should be not to curb the
(Ex: are AP Portal and E-Seva). initiatives and enthusiasm of the States but to best
For example, the APSWAN executed at a cost of Rs. practices, pooling of the expertise and to help Indian
25 crores did not involve any capital outlay from the companies grow to global capabilities; that is, the
Government. It was on the basis of “build, own and companies that are carrying out e-government projects
operate”. The private company is paid for the use of the in India should be able to export their know -how to
network. The e-Seva system is also a partnership between other countries . The private –public partnership (PPP)
the Government and private companies. Government model for e-governance projects adopted in Andhra
departments and corporations provide the information Pradesh involves least capital expenditure by the
and the private company which put the capital gets paid government; at the same time it helps the growth of
for every transaction from the participating departments/ Indian companies .
companies. Government procedures have evolved over a
Various state-governments and autonomous period of two centuries in this country. Government has
bodies like municipalities are also embarking upon e- come to mean delay unaccountability and waste . Quite
governance and e-service projects. It is unfortunate often government officers (often, after retirement) as well
that even when we have got in Delhi a Ministry for I.T, as Ministers talk about the need for process re-
every state is going through the same independent engineering . The other day (Nov 2003 at the National
learning and implementation process. We could avoid lot Conference on e-governance in Chennai) also said that
of costs and cut down time businesses if the expertise unless the process of work and decision-making is re-
gained by any government department in any State in engineered, computerization of the existing work,
computerisation is shared; in fact, is simply duplicated retaining the old practices will not produce the
with few changes in all other governments. There is not optimum result . The resistance for re-engineering is
even a Journal which can disseminated information immense . In fact, even computerization is some times
regarding what type of works, in what manner are ornamental and not truly functional bringing about
getting computerised, at what costs and what benefits . change in the mind-set of people is a challenging task.
Suggestions have been made to the Union Ministers of I.T The government of Andhra Pradesh set up a Center for
for this purpose. We hope that such a journal and a Good Governance in Dr. Marri Chennareddy Institute of
mechanism for sharing knowledge and experience and Human Resource Development . The amount of training
for implementation of a successful program of one State and retraining and getting people to accept change has
elsewhere by l simple replication will emerge. been immense. Departments were encouraged to compete
What is amazing is the amount of duplication with one and other to come forward to computerize their
that e-governments project as implemented in various work. Those which were finally selected were taken
States is involving. For eg: Andhra Pradesh implemented through an intense course for change management, for
a Computer Assisted Registration of Documents imparting of skills and for cooperating with the company
(CARD). Other states are now doing but each one is in the design of the system and its implementation . Each
going through a separate bidding process and fixing up department has a Chief Information Officer (CIO) who
implementing companies . Why cannot the state-owned would own the projects and is responsible for its
A P technology Services Ltd. (APTSL) which implementation . Unless the highest are involved, e-
implemented the CARD project be engaged to replicate governance projects cannot be successful ; they willbecome fashionable and ornamental but not functional. voter can then be given an identity number which is
Andhra Pradesh was lucky in that its CM is in the given as print -out after registration.
driver’s seat with full conviction and involvement. Very The next stage is the candidates canvassing for
pleasantly, and with very few parallels, many ideas votes. Instead of requiring them to hold public rallies
emanated from the CM himself with the rest supplying and meetings by collecting people from different places
the details. And in the process of review and and transporting them like cattle in lorries at huge cost to
implementation remarkable interventions were made by rallies and demonstrations (actually this is the one which
the CM. These follow from the fact that the CM is becoming costlier and costlier and therefore requiring
conceived himself as the CEO of a company namely, more and more black money), every Radio and TV
the GOAP. It is good to note that competition between channel may as a condition of the license be required
States is emerging in regard to e-governance and to give free time to the approved candidates, say 15
extensive use of ICTs in various fields of economic, days before election time for specified hours, for
educational and entrepreneurial activities. It is true that lecturing and appealing for votes. Each of the channels
most benefits will be realized by the educated and skilled. must have toll -free telephone lines for the period.
In order to see that the benefits of ICTs reach the largest When the candidates are speaking canvassing for votes,
number of people , it is essential that there is universal citizens could phone in and then there could be a
education upto secondary level, preferably beyond that dialogue or discussion . Meetings should be allowed
and that in the last few years of secondary education only in closed buildings, assembly halls or auditoria
itself, every student is made computer -literate. Of but not in the open, so that, these are not mammoth
course, all the teachers and lecturers will have to be disrupting city life. The next step is actual voting. Voting
also computer -literate and skilled in Andhra Pradesh. A must be registered only through the PCs in every booth.
start has been made by getting all the university level The registered voter may appear before the camera -
teachers computer literate . carrying PC. He may key in his voter number and look
into the Camera. The PC /camera will match the voter
6. e-Government Making with the digital photo that is already installed and if
they don’t match, his vote would not be registered. A
Finally, an e-governance project must also list of such may be printed and he will be given a slip of
include e-government making; that is, elections to the rejection for future appeal or whatever. The PCs in all
State Legislatures and the Parliament of India. The basic the booths in a constituency may be linked to a central
source of corruption in the country is the huge counting computer . In this system, 5 minutes past the
expenditure that parties and candidates seeking elections closing time for balloting, the result could be out. I have
have to incur. State funding will not be a remedy . Just presented this concept to the Union Home Minister. He
as business /government process re- engineering alone appreciated but expressed difficulty in getting it
can deliver the full benefits of ICTs, election process implemented . If this is taken as part of e-governance
must be re- engineered to minimize corruption. It must project of the country and trial implementation is carried
start with the enumeration. Government officials should out either in bye- elections or for Zilla Parishad
not have to go from house to house to enroll voters. elections, then in a period of 4 – 5 years, we may have a
People should be required to register themselves as fool- proof working e-election system . That e-voting has
voters during a specified period and such registration become very popular in several states like California
may be renewed periodically to drop the dead and and elsewhere is very well known. The US will be trying
departed and include those who attain majority as well as out e-voting in the Primaries for the Presidential
to see that all those who live in a place are registered. election 2004 in some of the States. We should not be
Registration must be computer –based. After the trailers but pioneers.
bonafides are publicly ascertained the registering officer
may require the qualified and bonafide citizen sit 7. Derogation of ICTs
before a PC with camera. All the details like residence,
age, parentage, constituency etc., may be entered and That the computers and software are producing
his picture / thumb impression recorded in the computer jobs only for the highly educated and that particular
by digital imaging. Incidentally, registration instead of professional education is costing very dear to the families
enumeration largely eliminates bogus voters if the is another argument against Government’s promotion and
registration takes place publicly; that is, local use of the information technology and software. For very
representatives of the political parties are allowed to be good reasons like when the literacy is only 65% and that
present at the registration site so that in case of doubt, therefore Governments should spend their resources for
one can raise objection and the registering officer can elementary and secondary education and not on
have the case investigated before registering. Every University especially professional education and that thelatter has to be financed by the beneficiaries is interpreted the property-owners were allowed to add one or two more
as denial of education to the masses by costing it very floors to their buildings. That was more than satisfying
high. For example, a student has to spend about compensation for the little space ceded by them for
Rs.500,000 ($ 11,000) which is 25 times the per capita widening of the roads.
income, to get a B.Tech degree. The critics of IT and The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh became
software say that this type of education can be afforded the chief marketing officer for the state to attract multi
only by the rich and it is only the children of the rich that national companies from the US and Europe to locate
are benefitting by information technology and software their business and development centers for IT and
use in the country. This is how the very beneficial IT and software in Hyderabad. He was therefore seen in the
software both for the educated as well as for the company of big businessmen and worthies like Bill Gates
Government and the country are trashed among the voting and the President of the USA, Bill Clinton and the Prime
masses. Indeed, the critics charged that the rich countries Ministers of UK, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany etc. His
and multinational businesses are inveigling India to critics said that he neglected the poor farmers and became
produce huge numbers of professionals whose services oblivious to their woes attracted by the glitter and glow of
can be inexpensively utilised by the multi-nationals for the company of the multi millionaires and imperial
their benefit. Thus, when Bill Gates donated $ 200 powers. In obedience true the advice of the World Bank
Million to India for the control of HIV, his charity was and IMF and other that international capital. It was not
dismissed as selfish by saying that Gates was afraid that if that the Chief Minister did not visit the villages and talk to
the Indian youth are infected with HIV, Microsoft would the farmers but since poverty and unemployment could
not get low-paid IT and software professionals from not be eliminated especially among the unskilled and
India! His charity was because of selfish motive! hardly literate or illiterates within the 5 to 10 years, and
Another canard widely propagated was that the since his advice was that people have to
Government was investing heavily in information learn and earn (i.e., education and hard work) and not
technology and software education and facilities and the depend on the programme of Government feeding
related infrastructure, firstly to benefit the multi-nationals; (subsidized food-grains, sugar, kerosene, cooking oil) and
secondly, the rich classes and thirdly that it is at the cost themselves breeding (too many children, poverty and
of agriculture, drinking water, health and education. The have illiteracy, child labour) did not go well with the
truth is that the Governments merely created favourable voter-masses. His critics conveyed that he was insincere
conditions for private domestic and foreign private in his care or concern for the poor. He only cared for the
enterprises to invest in India. Good roads, steady rich, for the elite for whom alone the IT and software
electrical power supply, telecommunications, good have some benefit.
transport services are what were encouraged; that is,
improvement in infrastructure. In what has come to be 8. Telephone’s Acceptability: Computers and
known as private public partnership (PPP) enterprises IT as Threat
were floated to get ready-to-use building spaces and even
the State wide area broadband network for e-governance. The skepticism about and rejection of computers
In regard to e-services even, the Government investment and information technology by the voting masses is in
was limited to 25% and in some cases, this was not in the great contrast to their acceptance with enthusiasm of the
form of any money contribution. For example, for the telephone. There was a time in the 70s and early 80s
Hitec and Hitex facilities for business space and when the ideologues mainly Marxists and communists
expositions in Hyderabad, the Government’s contribution who had infiltrated into the Congress and its Government
was only its land which was initially worthless now organs also were holding that telephones were only for the
valued at 26% of the cost of the project as contribution for rich and Government should not invest its scarce
share capital. These facts were however, suppressed by resources in telephones. But a determined effort by some
the critics of the Government. The Cyber Towers building telecommunications, professionals in the Government to
proving 800,000 sq ft ready-to-use office accommodation put telephones in every village for public use irrespective
for software companies, the Government put no cash. The of the cost and the revenues. Has very tellingly
land it gave was valued at 26% of the total project. demonstrated the benefits of (reduced travel to distant
Similarly, the improvement in the traffic flow in Government offices, access to market information, legal
Hyderabad was effected by construction of flyovers and and medical advice, socialist etc.) telephone for the rural
widening of roads. Neither involved cash flow out from masses. This was quickly followed by campaigns for
Government. Government’s land in the city outskirts liberalisation, demonopolisation, private sector entry and
which could be developed was auctioned and the fantastic foreign and domestic private investment into the telecom
amount realized was used to build two score fly-overs in network and services. This demonopolisation and private
the city. Where private property on either side of the roads sector entry were bitterly opposed by communists and
to be widened were acquired, no cash was paid. Instead,trade unions led by them. They had even gone to the discourse, debate and decision-promotion. The theme is
Supreme Court of India challenging the private sector the Digital Divide. The UNDP/ITU have been holding
entry into telecom as an assault on socialism. Fortunately, preparatory conferences for a World Summit on
the Supreme Court of India rejected their petitions. In the Information Society (WSIS) to bridge the Digital Divide
last ten years if there is one sector in the country where just like providing the Missing Link. Developing
liberalization and private sector entry and competition are countries must, to benefit from ICTs must prioritise the
universally accepted as benefiting the masses, it is the following:
telecom. About 600,000 villages have each one public • Education for all including the acquisition of
telephone and 99% of the population is having access to skills by all to use the ICT gadgets and the
the phone. Competition has brought in new services like systems.
electronic mail and mobile telephony. Mobile telephony • Put Internet Kiosks for public use (just like
has become so cheap that every year 18 million mobiles public telephones) in rural areas (where
are being added to the country in contrast to about 3 to 4 masses of voters live) and put agents to help
million fixed telephones. Five companies competing “un-fitted” people to get the information and
fiercely in every State have brought the mobile telephone services they want (including those
within reach of farmers, carpenters, electricians, connected with, for and by Government).
plumbers, vegetable vendors and students. Long distance Those will have to be subsidised to be
call prices fell by 80% and are still going down. It is this affordable by the poor.
increasing affordability that has endeared the telephone • Reduce hype but resolutely move over to e-
to the ordinary people. We can see daily rated labourers governance to realise and demonstrate the
working on commercial farms having a transistor radio benefits of ICTs.
and a mobile telephone on their person. An year’s of • Take measures to bring down the prices of
mobile telephone service is costing about 25% of the per all ICT equipment – computers, mobile
capita income whereas even the lowest priced computer is telephones, network equipment for some
costing 150% of the PCI; that is six times costlier than time at least by abolishing excise duties,
mobile telephone service. Technology and competition sales and service taxes, licence fees etc. Just
have made the telecom part of the ICTs acceptable to the as the radio has now become a commodity,
masses. It has no language limitation. And for the well so can information appliances should
educated it is giving access even to the internet. SMS become. ICTs based services should not be
messages are replacing postal mail and even email. viewed as new sources to Government but
as aids for human resource development and
9. Conclusion for improving the efficiency in economy and
governance. Just as education is not taxed so
In the 1980’s we all talked of the “missing link” should not the ICT involving products and
telephones in rich countries and for the affluent only in services.
poor countries. The United Nations and the International • All political parties should desist from
Telecommunications Union (ITU) made this a matter of viewing technological changes as threats to
worldwide discourse as a result of which villages and the the poor. They should on the other hand
poor in urban areas have been given access to public concentrate on demanding more and better
telephones. Structural reforms in the industry like education and affordability of the new
Government’s withdrawal and private sector’s devices and systems for increasing sections
competitive entry into the sector have brought in of the people.
revolutionary changes – application of latest technologies; Finally, the wisdom contained in the following
costs and prices falling; telephones within the reach of the quotes should reassure the pioneering advocates and
poor. implementers of e-governance to persist in their enterprise
Concerned with what ICTs are doing for the unmindful of the temporary adversity.
developed countries and their educated and enterprising
people, businesses and economies and governance, the
UN and the ITU are again engaged in another gripping“Those who claim to lead the
“Those who carry on great public masses must resolutely refuse to be led by
schemes must be proof against the most them, if we want to avoid mob law and
fatiguing delays, the most mortifying desire ordered progress for the country.
disappointments, the most shocking I believe that mere protestation of one’s
insults. And what is most of all the opinion and surrender to the mass
presumptuous judgment of the opinion is not only not enough, but in
ignorant.” matters of vital importance leaders must
– Edmund Burke act contrary to the mass of opinions if it
does not commend itself to their reason.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
Appendix
Major EG Projects in Andhra Pradesh:
•MPHS .. Building the citizen’s & land data base
•CARD .. Registration of legal & sale deeds
•FHIMS .. IT in Primary Health Sector
•FAST.. Transport services through IT
•Compact.. Streamlining commercial taxes
•e-COPS .. IT in Police
•SmartGov.. Knowledge-led governance (Secretariat)
•Core Projects.. e-Procurement, IFIS, HRMS & SBMS
•eSeva .. Redefining citizen services
•APOnline .. Convergence of info, forms & services
•Kiosks .. Network of internet kiosks in villages
•OLTP .. Online Transaction Processing
e-Seva: Convenience & Comfort:
•Multiple services offered at each counter
•Utility / Tax Payments
Electricity, Water, Property Tax, Telephone bills
–Filing Sales Tax and Income Tax Returns
•Certificates
–Birth / death certificates
–Encumbrance certificates for property
•Passport and Licenses
–Filing applications for passports
–Municipal trade licenses, Learner’s License, Vehicle registration …
•Bus tickets … train tickets, airline tickets, travel bookings
•E-Payments on internet (www.esevaonline.com)e-Seva in Andhra Pradesh :
• One-stop-Shop for G2C services
• 31 service centres, 6 bank branches, 81 ATMs (in Hyderabad)
• Volume of Transactions increasing
• 0.8 mil in April 2001
• 8.5 mil since Aug 03
• 46 services across any of 290 counters
• Extending to all urban areas by Dec 03
• 232 more eSeva Centres in 116 cities & towns &
• 5000 villages by Dec 2004
Complexities of a Solution for Secretariat:
•Over 2000 users in 12 levels
•30 departments with cross-cutting subjects
•Over 3600 subjects with unique work flow hierarchies
•Extremely compelling imperatives on
–Security, availability, scalability
–Conformance to Business Rules
•Largely computer-illiterate users
•Strongly entrenched legacy system of manual files
•Mindset
APNET:
•Use of satellite technology for
•Distance education
•Training of Govt employees & SHGs
•Pilot Project operational for 2 years
•Expansion at advanced stage
•Earth Station operational since 4/02
•Studio complex to be operational by 8/03
•Content development – current focus area
•2000 remotes operationalSize and Complexity of SmartGov:
76 Central Applications 354 Department Applications
• Office Procedures
• Establishment • 5 functional groups
• Common Processes • Social • Referral
• Engg • Regulatory
• Promotion
6 Core Applications 24 Technical Applications
• Knowledge Management
• Central Filing System •Effort - 125 Person Years
• Security • 150 TCS Consultants worked on it at peak
• SKIMS Desktop / Intranet time
• Schedule - 11 months for development and 2
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