the goan I network
PANAJI
E-governance is the buzz word in New Delhi. In Panaji, though, its progress is in slow motion. Despite being considered a developed state with aspirations of being a model for others to emulate, Goa is way behind others in the race to implement total e-governance.
;">The State has just 31 e-services to its credit while bigger states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Kerala have implemented over a hundred e-services, making it easier for the citizens to avail of them anywhere, anytime.
Take the Goa Medical College for instance. Although it is the apex health institute in the State it has not yet implemented any e-services.
States like Gujarat and Maharashtra have implemented e-services -- in-patient and out-patient registration, while Kerala has e-service for admission of patients.
The State government has plans to implement a Hospital Management System (HMS) to create an online registry of documents of each patient as well as appointments taken for OPDs online.
The HMS system proposed creating a Unique Health Identification (UHID) number generated by linking a patient’s Aadhaar Card. This UHID can then be used by doctors and patients to access medical records from previous consultations, blood test reports and medicines prescribed to the patient. However, nothing has happened so far.
LEARN FROM ANDAMAN
The government-run Kadamba Transport Corporation has a pass system for passengers. While students have yearly passes, other passengers can avail of it on fortnightly and monthly basis. Presently, there are over 24,000 passengers who avail of the pass system on 197 routes across the State.
Presently, to avail new pass, a passenger can fill form online and also make payment, but to collect the pass the passenger has to physically visit KTC counters at the bus stands.
Believe it or not, Andaman and Nicobar has a better system which allows travellers to avail of passes just at the click of a button. This is e-governance.
POLICE WAITING
The Police Department also has a lot of work to do to provide majority of its transactions through web portals.
Traffic Police, for instance, are still on the lookout for companies to develop the software to link its database, point of sale machines and challan procedure under the umbrella of e-challaning.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Dharmesh Angle stated, “The aim is to develop a software module whereby if we feed the vehicle registration number or license number, the entire record of the owner or individual concerned, previous history of challans, criminal history, everything will be made available. The fresh challan issued through the e-challaning system will also be updated online. We are in the process of discussing these technicalities with various companies.”
The police have also been pushing to take the tenant verification process online. However, at the moment only the C-form is available on the Goa Police website whereas the rest of the procedure has to be initiated and completed at the police station.
PANCHAYATS LAGGING
The development of an e-portal for the Directorate of Panchayats is long overdue. The e-portal, proposed to be a one stop window for all panchayat-related matters, was expected to tie together all the services, digitized records and individual websites of all 190 panchayats in the state in order to bring local self-governance to the doorstep of the citizens.
Presently, only five panchayats have web portals. These include Pomburpa-Olaulim, Benaulim, Nagoa, Navelim and Varca. However, these websites merely act as information hubs. Services such as application, processing and approvals of No Objection Certificates for water connection, electricity, house repairs, road cutting, running general stores, bar or liquor outlets, depositing house tax, construction licenses, trade certificates, occupancy certificates, income certificates, residence certificates and a host of other documentations continue to require a visit to the panchayat office at every stage.
n Directorate of Social Welfare has several services, but not a single one is e-friendly. The citizens have to fill the required forms and submit it to the office manually
n Issuance of identity cards for senior citizens and differently abled is also done through the same above department
n Government officials are of the opinion that if these services for issuing identity cards go online, it would make it easier for them as well as the beneficiaries to avail benefits under the scheme
n If the State government has to achieve success in implementing total e-governance, the Passport Office is the model to follow
If online system is introduced, the applicant can submit form online and we can download it in the department and conduct a scrutiny. However, for physical verification, we will have to visit them personally, but they can be intimated about the date and time of verification through an SMS
”An official (Directorate of Social Welfare)
