The Union territory (UT) of Punjab boasts of sampark kendras that have centralised and facilitated services regarding routine needs like paying service bills and depositing various forms. Enhancement of computer education in schools and colleges are also under way.
However, if one looks closely at the villages, most of them are bereft of computer education programme in schools and also do not have e-governance centres.
Officers in the administration department say that the IT revolution has mainly benefited the urban areas and the benefits have not percolated to the rural areas. The divide between the urban and the rural populace is almost digital.
To improve the present situation the state government plans to tie up with Intel for starting computer education for students of rural areas in government schools. The idea is not just teaching them basics of computer but also involving them in innovative projects.
50 information technology centres will open in the city for services to the public and at least five sampark centres will be opened in strategic locations in the villages.
The programme will enable the rural residents to be in close contact with the administration and other service providing agencies.
The officer said the Commonwealth Youth Programme of the Asia Centre, located on the Punjab Engineering College campus, had already started a mobile van service for the rural areas. The van had computers to train the students who did not have access to computer facility. The programme was earlier started in collaboration with the administration. An effort would be made to expand the existing programme.
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