This is a story I had written years ago. How much of this potential has been tapped? A question on the eve of another ECAP. FN
SOFTWARE COULD TIGHTEN UP GOVERNANCE IN GOA by Frederick Noronha, Indo-Asian News Service PANAJI (Goa), Sep 10 -- Dissatisfied citizens upset by the declining quality of governance could have something to look forward to, if officials in this coastal state opts for some of the solutions being offered by central government IT experts. Local-based offices of the Central government-run National Informatics Centre (NIC) have offered an elaborate plan to the Goa government, that promises to make governance more effectively. For a state lagging behind its IT-giant neighbours like Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Goa has now received the choice to implement a wide range of software dealing with making accounting simpler for the state, monitor arms licences issued, and even keep tabs on the 'conversion' of agricultural land fuelled recently due to real-estate speculation in this touristic paradise. Computerisation is also available with the NIC for helping make elections a less painful process -- for revising electoral rolls, polling-booth information, posting of polling staff, assist in counting of votes, and preparing of various reports. Some of these software solutions have been applied in other states as well. OPA, or Office Procedure Automation, is a comprehensive package developed to help monitor pending cases. It also assists in the easy tracking of letters and files. "(It could be) a tool for enforcing the prescribed procedure (in governance)," says the NIC. Likewise, another product from this Central Government organisation offers to monitor public grievances using a product called PGMS. Firstly, complaints received from citizens are registered. Forwarding-letters to grievance officers are automatically generated. Action-taken by various officers can be included. Reminders are generated automatically if officials don't act. >From a revenue-recovery cases monitoring system, there's help for District Revenue Officers -- who have the onerous task of recovering loans when financial institutions can't get them back from borrowers. This helps to keep track of which cases are coming up when, and helps make the paper-work smoother. Recently, the NIC also implemented its software to lessen the anxiety of students awaiting results of public exams in Goa. Students of the school-leaving level were given their results and marks-obtained speedily via the Internet. One other product is to help make admissions smoother to technical-institutions across the state. Other solutions offered by the NIC include a High-Tension Billing System (there are nearly 500 industrial and agri-consumers who consume high-tension electricity in Goa), Employment Exchange computerisation options, and a Factory Statistics Information System (offering a database of factories in Goa with details of workmen and accidents and more). There is also an Immigration Clearance System that could make life less trying for those landing at Goa's lone and often-crowded Dabolim airport, an small-scale industries registration system, a mines information system (which includes environmental records), and software to store extensive details of each High Court case. (Goa has a large iron-ore mining zone in the interior parts of the state, and exports upto one-third of India's iron.) There are also options to make administering easier for the official authorities, in terms of collecting house tax, rent, construction licences, trade licensing and water-billing. In addition, there's a long list of other software -- to track questions raised in the State Assembly, Goa government budgets, and Cabinet decisions. One unusual product seeks to ensure that government officials utilise the telephone only uptil the extent to which they are authorised. One other software is a GPF System, which would have a role to play in an over-bureaucratised state having 37,000 GPF provident fund subscribers. NIC says it has also given e-mail access to a large number of local government departments. It has helped build and make accessible the MEDLARS (a medical-information system), COURTNIC and JUDIS (offering legal-related information) and GISTNIC. In September 2000 the NIC offered a detailed plan for Goa to embark on e-governance. Its suggestions include a network connecting all government offices in state-capital Panaji, district and taluka headquarters, which it tentatively called GOANET. It also suggested LANs (local area networks) for the Secretariat and new assembly complex. It helped egg Goa forward on the IT front, by assisting in putting up websites for Goa Tourism (goatourism.nic.in), the Passport Office (passport.goa.nic.in), and the Directorate of Technical Education (dte.goa.nic.in), among others. ENDS