Goa plans unique
e-governance
Sandesh Prabhudesai
4 May 2001
Goa plans to implement Enterprise Resource
Planning system in the state administration, with an endeavour
to implement the concept of e-governance in its real sense,
perhaps for the first time in India.
The tiny tourist state has also decided to
approach the centre with a proposal to allow to implement
the 'frozen' IT action plan in Goa on experimental basis.
The state infotech council, which met here
for the first time under the chairmanship of Dr R A Mashelkar,
Director General of the CSIR, has also decided to make Goa
a 'joyful intelligent state' by combining the IT development
with hospitality industry.
The suggestion to implement the ERP system
in fact came from Dr N Sheshgiri, former director of the National
Informatic Centre and the state council member. "It can be
successfully implemented only in a small state like Goa",
he opined.
Though the ERP system is already being implemented
successfully by corporate sector, Dr Sheshgiri however felt
that the state government will have to create a modified web-enabled
ERP package for its effective implementation.
He also emphasised the need to combine it
with Business Process Re-engineering, with a plan to re-engineer
all the government departments in order to set up an up-to-date
state-wide network of information and providing IT-enabled
service to the unreachable common man.
State IT minister Ramakant Khalap, while
instantly accepting the proposal, informed that the administration
is already moving into implementing e-governance system within
two years, by even providing special budgetary support to
all the departments.
Dr Mashelkar, a Goan by origin, also agreed
to take initiative in convincing the central government to
allow Goa to implement the IT action plan, which was prepared
by Dr Sheshgiri and submitted to the Government of India.
Though agreed in principle, the central cabinet
did not approve the proposal as the customs department had
raised some objections, said Dr Sheshgiri. If implemented,
he felt that the market presently tapped by China could be
diverted to Goa with billions of dollars of investment.
Pending clearance from the centre, Dr Sheshgiri
informed his colleagues in the Goa council that India had
received 11 proposals to set up projects in the country including
one project worth $ 120 million.
Dr Vijay Bhatkar, chairman of the Dishnet
DSL, on the occasion suggested that Goa's IT development should
be made not by imitating others but preparing innovative packages
which could attract the world market.
As mental stress is found to be a common
feature among most of the IT technologists, Dr Bhatkar suggested
that Goa should build IT industry combined with tourism. Proposing
a concept of 'joyful intelligent state', he felt it should
offer a lifestyle and not a mere industrial infrastructure.
While insisting on innovative packages, Dr
Bhatkar also suggested a convention centre of international
standards as well as a digital media city consisting of a
good virtual studio for the media and film industry.
Providing a slogan "Team Goa - Team India",
Dr Mashelkar said a Goan can be taken out of Goa but Goa cannot
be taken out of a Goan. He thus emphasised the need to get
Goan IT technologists working outside back into the state
to develop the IT sector.
Chief minister Manohar Parrikar, who himself
is an IIT graduate, said the government was prepared to provide
maximum budgetary support to take ahead the suggestions of
the infotech council. "But more stress should be laid on private
participation", he said.
Besides making plans for e-governance and
IT parks, the state has already made computer education compulsory
after Std VIII and has introduced exclusive streams in IT
at higher secondary level in order to facilitate higher education,
in a five-point IT policy.
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