HYDERABAD: The state government’s plan to extend e-governance facilities at the grassroot level, by equipping panchayats with computers, hit a roadblock due to lack of internet facilities.
Of the total 8,695 gram panchayats in the state as many as 2,400 GPs have been provided with computers. However, only 834 GPs have access to internet facility. This apart, another 2,792 GPs are being given computers to provide the rural folk with online services. In all, as many as 5,192 GPs have computers.
Although the process of inviting tenders for setting up VSAT internet facility had begun more than six months ago, the issue has been put in cold storage.
Considering the remotest areas under which these GPs fall, the government has been insisting on VSAT technology to provide internet facility. However, the state-owned telecommunications giant BSNL stated its inability to provide the same.
The Centre’s decision to cut funds for Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikaran Abhiyaan (RGPSA), one of the several Centrally sponsored schemes that faced a slash in the previous budget, too has contributed to the delay.
Even the decision to launch e-governance initiatives in Domakonda mandal of Nizamabad district, before extending the same to other GPs, by using the services of National Optical Fibre Network in April too could not fructify.
Currently, the government is pinning its hope on the Telangana Rural Inclusive Growth Project (TRIGP), funded by the World Bank, to take the initiative forward. Under the scheme, the World Bank has promised to provide 1000 computers for GPs in 150 most backward mandals.
“Since some GPs in these most backward mandals have computers, we have suggested the World Bank authorities to relax their norms and provide the same to other GPs. We are awaiting the response from them,” a senior official of the panchayat raj department told Express.
He also said the government would also place a requisition with the Union government to allocate funds for the programme under its Digital India project.
The government intends to convert these e-panchayat centres into ‘One Stop Shop’ offering a wide range of citizen services, including tax payments, pension and NREGA payments among others.