E-Governance : 27/11/09

DELHI 1ST INDIAN CITY TO MAP UTILITIES DIGITALLY
S Ronendra Singh, New Delhi
Financial Chronicle  The Tribune  

The national capital on Thursday joined an elite league of cities such as New York, London and Paris when Delhi government unveiled a unique portal consisting all the over ground and underground utilities such as telephone lines and water pipes in three-dimensional digital format.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit inaugurated the Rs 120-crore Delhi state spatial data infrastructure (DSSDI) project on Thursday.

Launching the portal, Dikshit said, ?The underground utilities comprising water, sewer, telephone, power line have been mapped for the first time using modern technology. The availability of underground utilities in digital form would enable the concerned line departments to undertake preventive maintenance programmes as well as locate the fault in the underground utility with precision.?

The developed nations such as the US, Europe and UK have taken advantage of this technology for enhancing transparency in government functioning. Delhi being the first state in the country to have such a project, the ?aam aadmi? will also benefit by way of reduced time taken for maintenance, upgradation and laying of all city services with transparency in government functioning and accountability of services rendered through this project.

The portal will provide access to departments such as MCD, NDMC, DDA, Delhi Police, besides bodies of central and state government.

GOVT TO HOLD TEST FOR COMPUTERS
Chandigarh
Hindustan Times (Chandigarh edition)

The Haryana government has decided to conduct a State Eligibility Test in Computer Appreciation and Applications (SETC) for recruitment of data entry operators, office associates, clerks and computer operators in various departments, boards and corporations.

The test to be conducted by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology will be mandatory for promotions at various levels. "The objective of introducing the eligibility test is to give impetus to e-governance projects and applications of information technology," an official said.

As per the notification issued by the General Administration Department, the pass percentage for candidates is 50 percent. There will be no restrictions on the number of chances to pass the test, which will be held at least four times a year. Those declared successful will be awarded a certificate of eligibility by the Electronics and IT Department.

HIGH COURT TO GO DIGITAL FROM DEC
New Delhi
The Indian Express  Hindustan Times (Delhi edition)  

The Delhi High Court plans to start e-courts by next month to reduce paperwork and turn eco-friendly.

With this, lawyers and litigants can stop carrying bulky files and start using a pen drive or a compact disc. Court proceedings, from the stage of filing a petition to getting copies of judgments, will be paperless.

?The necessity of e-courts has arisen due to shortcomings of a paper-based system like storage, maintenance and wastage of a lot of paper,? said Justice B D Ahmed, in-charge of the e-court committee, during the presentation of the project to lawyers and judges on Thursday.

?We?re also working on the project in which live court proceedings would also be seen on the website,? Justice Ahmed said, adding the project will be first started in one court and will soon be followed in all other courts, including the five district courts in the Capital.