Cell phone governance soon in north India

Faizabad will soon see e-governance in a new avatar. The Chief Development Officer (CDO) Gaurav Dayal has launched an initiative, called 'Real e-Governance', in which e-governance will be conducted through cell phones. Recently Dayal has started trials for a project called Anant Sampark by Harnessing Wireless Access (ASHWA), with an aim to establish a practicable e-governance infrastructure which will connect rural areas with the district headquarter. With ASHWA, villagers can access their family register, different certificates including death, birth, income, domicile and land records with the "dial" button of the cellphone. Dayal, while explaining the working of ASHWA, said: “A villager who might need a copy of a land record, any government certificate or assistance has to merely approach Ashawarohi (a member associated with ASHWA) and pay him a sum of INR 20. "The Ashwarohi will immediately send a message in this regard through the cellphone. A master computer, monitored personally by the CDO will be installed at Vikas Bhawan in the district headquarter. This main server will receive the message. After identifying the cellphone, from which the message has been sent, the computer will print the required document.” He added, “This document will be placed in a stamped envelope and posted the same day. Within three days, it will be delivered to the village from where the request has originated.” Dayal further said that every village will have one Ashwarohi, who will be trained to use GPRS cellphones. The project will help in keeping a close watch on government functionaries, including teachers of primary schools in the villages, Aganwadi workers and the doctors posted in the rural areas. It will also monitor different programmes run by the state government in villages such as mid-day meal scheme, national guarantee employment scheme, among others. Source: i4D

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