E-Governance Updates: 23/06/09

NEW WEB-ENABLED SINGLE WINDOW FACILITY FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Lucknow
The Pioneer

In a bid to attract more investment in the state and simplify the process for the same, the state government is set to launch a new web-interface single window facility especially for the entrepreneurs willing to set up industry in the state.

The move would also help streamlining the functioning of various departments associated with the process of industrialisation.

The facility, called ‘Nivesh-Mitra’ (Investment Friend), is proposed to be launched in 18 identified districts on July 6.

The selection of the 18 districts had been on the basis of level of industrial activity.

According to highly placed sources, Nivesh Mitra, the software available on the Internet, would facilitate faster and time-bound issuance of various approvals required by the applicants before setting up an enterprise in the state.

The new web-enabled software package would provide seamless interface between the entrepreneur and various departments issuing clearances, approvals and NoCs required for setting up of a project.

Online submission and updating of all forms would be made easier through this software.

The software, developed jointly by National Informatics centre (NIC) and Udyog Bandhu, would generate a unique reference number of the proposal after the submission of an application for various approval consequent to registration of entrepreneur on the website.

PILOT PROJECT SOON FOR E-GOVERNANCE IN WAKF ADMINISTRATION
New Delhi
DNA

Government will shortly launch a pilot project to introduce e-governance in Wakfs to streamline and energise the Wakf administration. Noting that the identification of Wakf properties spread over various states is a serious problem, minority affairs minister Salman Khursheed said, "there is a need for computerisation to maintain records of Wakf properties online. A pilot project for it will be launched very shortly."

The ministry has already sought funds for the project from the government. The fund will be disbursed to states, which in turn will give the money to respective Wakf Boards to start the computerisation process.

"It can be done in one or a few states first. Then other states could follow. Ultimately, everything must come to the e-governance model. Wakf properties should also come under e-governance like other properties which get registered," the minister said. He felt that the computerisation of Wakf properties will also help in dispute resolution.

The ministry's move comes in the backdrop of president Pratibha Patil's address to the joint sitting of Parliament on June 4 in which the issue of strengthening and modernising the administration of Wakf boards was mentioned.

The government is also working towards bringing a fresh legislation to streamline Wakf administration on the basis of recommendations of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), which went into the issue.

BBMP WEBSITE DISAPPOINTS CITIZENS
Senthalir S.,Bangalore
DNA (Bangalore edition)

People are finding it difficult to access BBMP website www.bbmpwards.org, a site which provides the option to file objections or suggestions online to the delimitation proposal. With accessing the website becoming difficult, the urban development department has so far received only 18 oppositions to the proposal. Many of them are related to the renaming of their wards. At least four objections had come from Kyasanahalli village, opposing the inclusion of the village in Kalkere ward from Mahadevapura zone.

The website was launched exclusively to help people file their objections and suggestions online, saving them the trouble of personally bringing it to the notice of the urban development department. But unfortunately, it has not been working."We have uploaded all the details on the website. It also contains applications in detail on the objections filed by people.

The maps and boundaries of the wards can also be seen," said RS Basappa, special deputy commissioner (enforcement). But B Shekar, a resident of Basavanagudi, said: "I have been trying to log on to the website for two days in vain. I request the BBBMP to update the website and provide the map and ward details."

PRIME MINISTER AWARD FOR ITPO CMD
The Times of India (Delhi edition)

Dr. Sheela Bhide, CMD, India Trade Promotion Organization, was recently awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for excellence in public administration for conceptualizing and designing of MCA-21 e-governance project, during her tenure as joint secretary, ministry of corporate affairs. She received the award under the Team Effort category along with five other officials. The MCA-21 has brought about a revolution in the way new companies can be incorporated. Registered companies can also file their documents under the Companies Act. The facility offers easy access 24X7, based on the principles of ‘anytime and anywhere’.

 

E-Governance : 22/06/09

PUNJAB GOVT LAUNCHES COMPUTER-AIDED LEARNING IN SCHOOLS
Chandigarh, June 22, 2009
The Pioneer

The Punjab Government has launched Computer Aided Learning (CAL) program in primary and upper primary schools in the State with an interactive approach to improve the grasping power of students.

Education and Languages Minister Upinderjit Kaur said the CAL program was started under the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) project to establish an enabling environment for teaching and learning and to combine learning with play.

Besides this, the program makes learning interesting and joyful by breaking pressure and monotonous teaching system. It would also promote creativity and thinking of the students as well as teachers also, she said.

In an effort to provide quality education, Education Department has developed interactive multimedia CDs incorporating multimedia educational content for subjects like Mathematics, Science, English and Social Science so as to teach children in play way techniques.

ALL POLICE STATIONS TO BE LINKED VIA INTERNET
New Delhi, June 22, 2009
The Tribune

Policemen sitting in police stations across the country will be connected via a ?cyber-highway? to improve connectivity and increase crime-fighting abilities.

The Rs 2,000 crore project will cover all 14,000 police stations spread across the country. The Union cabinet has approved it.

The project is aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing at the police station-level through e-governance, and creation of a nationwide networked infrastructure for an IT-enabled state-of-the-art tracking system for the investigation of crime and detection of criminals in real time, Home Minister P Chidambaram said here.

The crime and criminal tracking network and system (CCTNS) project would be initiated by Home Ministry and implemented by National crime records bureau.

The objective of the CCTNS is to streamline investigation and prosecution processes, strengthening of intelligence gathering machinery.

It will also facilitate collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, transfer and sharing of data and information among police stations, district and state headquarters and other organisation and agencies, including those at the central government level.

MANNING THE NETWORK
Nivedan Prakash, June 22, 2009
The Financial Express

NDMC has deployed Cyberoam content filtering solutions that play a critical role in protecting its entire network.

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is going in for an image makeover. It has resolved to intensify its efforts in providing better civic services to the citizens and a multitude of visiting patrons from all over the country and overseas. NDMC regulates and superintends all matters pertaining to taxations, budgeting, revenue, accounts, contracts, audits, sanitation and public health, streets and public safety etc. In other words, it is directly responsible for the well-being of the entire population that resides in New Delhi.

NDMC has set up an IT infrastructure to provide a backbone to the entire administration and back office operations. It has installed computers in various departments, offices and in NDMC schools. It has also designed and developed customised software for various departments such as health, civil, commercial, accounts among others.

NDMC was already using Cisco PIX, which did not fulfill their requirements. They wanted to replace this legacy firewall and also wanted to protect their 15 servers. A legacy firewall solution could not control indiscriminate surfing and blended threats originating on the Web. One of the main challenges faced was unproductive use of Internet bandwidth.

Opening up access to these sites for all users resulted in bandwidth getting choked. Hence selective blocking of sites was required. K Murugan, deputy director?IT at NDMC says, ?With Cisco, we didn?t have the content filtering and mapping options. Earlier, they had declared that Cisco PIX is end of life.

But it had problems, wherein they did not provide any kind of support, especially post sales for this particular product. The most important thing was that the Cisco PIX was not able to give the report. We needed a gateway level solution for three specific purposes.? NDMC wished to replace its legacy firewall because the firewall had limited efficacy in combating blended threats. For total business connectivity, the corporation has three Internet service provider (ISP) links.