e-Governace to bring paradigm shift to governance: Banuo

Correspondent
KOHIMA, FEBRUARY 5

CHIEF Secretary, Banuo Z Jamir today underscored that a paradigm shift in governance system from the conventional one to that of e-governance will facilitate many things and bring about a more efficient, effective, relevant delivery mechanism.Pointing out that the impact of technology and particularly, information technology (IT) is tremendously changing every sphere of people’s lives directly or indirectly, she said this change will also have to impact functioning in the government.
“Governments are there for the people to attend and to meet the demands of the people and therefore there has to be changes in the system,” she asserted.
Jamir was addressing the inaugural program of Sensitization Workshop on e-Governance at the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), Meriema on Wednesday as the chief guest.
The occasion is the first official engagement for Jamir after assuming charge of Chief Secretary on February 1.
She stated that many changes through technology are already in use, yet there is a need to consolidate the usage and bring them under a uniform mandate through the applications of information, electronics and communication technologies. For this, she expressed optimism that the ways and means will be shared through the workshop.
She said that through the use of information, electronics and communication technologies, data base can be developed that can be commonly shared by all departments and the anomalies of variations in population figures, number of villages, total hecterage/acreage etc can be removed if there is a common source of information. Also, delays in gathering information and data can be addressed cutting down on time and costs as presently experienced through such database, she stated adding there will be transparency of information, not only for the citizens but for departments. Jamir also pointed out that departments are in a habit of working in water-tight compartments, unwilling to share information, but she is hopeful that through the proper use of technology, such anomalies will be done away with as the information will be available in public domain. She said that availability of information will also take care of the difficulty of disseminating government programmes and policies.
The Chief Secretary also acknowledged the efforts of the youth of Nagaland in bringing out the best Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) through the use of technology, making Nagaland the first state in India to have successfully completed the programme.
Taking note that there will be unprecedented growth of internet users, devices and data creating vast opportunities and equally daunting challenges, Jamir said that just as there are good and positive aspects, there are also those who will use the same technology for evil and the negative. “Before they take control and the upper hand, we should adapt and change,” she stated, adding, the government departments must take up the challenge and make changes in the way they function so that their existence is still relevant.
She called upon all the participants of the workshop to return to their respective departments enthused to make changes by making e-governance a priority in the functioning of their respective organization.
Commissioner & Secretary for IT&C, KD Vizo, delivering the keynote address, said e-Governance is meant to improve government decision making, increase accountability and reliability as well as to promote faster flow of information to the citizens. He said the e-governance programme was initially conceptualized in Nagaland in the year 2003 and the department of IT is done whatever it can to promote e-governance initiatives in the state, with the ultimate objective to create IT savvy society that is trustworthy and efficient. “However, we are still a long way towards achieving our goal,” he said.
The official also highlighted some of the key features of the original IT policy of Nagaland including that all the departments are to earmark 2-3% of its annual plan budget for IT /e-governance related activities, departments are to set up IT task force under the chairmanship of the concerned AHoDs, every department has to be instructed to prepare a 5 year IT Plan, they should create their own websites and upload all important information’s on their website etc. He expressed the need for AHoDs/HODs to review how far the IT policy has been implemented in their respective departments.
Asserting that the main reason for delay in implementation of IT policy is due to shortage of man power at all levels, he said the department looks forward to “old advanced departments” who have sufficient staff to donate few manpower and also to stand by the department’s side to carry forward the state IT policy.
The workshop, organized by NIELIT and department of Information Technology & Communication and sponsored by GOI Ministry of Communications & IT, was attended by heads of departments and administrative heads of various departments in Kohima.