Nagaland chief secretary Banuo Z. Jamir along with other participants at the sensitization workshop on e-Governance organized by NIELIT on February 5. (Morung Photo).
Kohima, February 5: Nagaland’s chief secretary Banuo Z. Jamir today said that technology and particularly information technology has tremendously changed our lives, impacting every sphere of our lives directly or indirectly. “We are even unaware of how powerfully it is influencing our decisions and our life styles,” she said and cited example of mobile phones, which has become such an essential part of everyday life thereby communication, has become much faster and efficient. She was speaking at the sensitization workshop on e-Governance organized by National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT).
Chief secretary Banuo Z. Jamir says, “e-Governance has profound impact on the lives of citizens and in the function of public institutions”
Jamir said there are other gadgets and equipments which have become almost as much essential like TV, computer, laptops, I-pads, internet, social networking through Facebook, tweeter and also there is online education programmes, telemedicine, online marketing. Jamir said governments are there for the people, to attend and to meet the demands of the people and therefore, there has to be changes in the system. She added that, in fact changes through technology is already in use like mobile phones, fax machines, computers, and internet “but there is a need to consolidate the usage and bring it under a uniform mandate.”
Jamir said there are other gadgets and equipments which have become almost as much essential like TV, computer, laptops, I-pads, internet, social networking through Facebook, tweeter and also there is online education programmes, telemedicine, online marketing. Jamir said governments are there for the people, to attend and to meet the demands of the people and therefore, there has to be changes in the system. She added that, in fact changes through technology is already in use like mobile phones, fax machines, computers, and internet “but there is a need to consolidate the usage and bring it under a uniform mandate.”
She said that through the use of information, electronics and communication technologies “we can develop data base that can be commonly shared by all departments. She said that anomalies of variations in population figures, number of villages, total hectares could be removed if there is a common source of information. Delays in gathering information and data will also addressed at the same time cut down on time and cost in what is presently experienced, she said. She added that there would be transparency of information, not only for the citizen but also for departments if there is common data base system. The availability of information will also take care of the difficulty in disseminating government programmes and policies.
She said e-Governance programmes have been launched in some selected departments. One is district administration in issue of ILP, which will be extended to issue of various certificates, online payment of taxes, online deposit of funds to beneficiaries, which contribute less scope of manipulation and corruption. In addition, stating that there will be increasing pressure to make services more accessible to citizens; she said the government has to be equipped to deal with the demand of the citizen. e-Governance has profound impact on the lives of citizens and in the function of public institutions, she said.
The Chief Secretary said conducting the Socio-Economic- Caste Census a virtually paper less exercise, information/data collected on tablet PCs, amazed at the capability of the youth in the state, adding this exercise was carried out most efficiently and Nagaland is among the first states to complete in the country. She said that things are happening and happening fast for which government must take up the challenge and make changes in the way “we function so that our existence is still relevant.” Meanwhile, chief secretary thanked NIELIT and the department of information technology and communication, Government of Nagaland for organizing the workshop and the GoI, Ministry of communications & IT for sponsoring and funding it.
Earlier, commissioner and secretary, IT&C, K.D. Vizo said e-Governance is meant to improve government decision making, increase accountability and reliability and promote faster flow of information to the citizens. He informed that e-Governance programme was initially conceptualized in Nagaland in 2003 and since then the Department of IT has done all possible means to promote e-Governance initiatives in the state. Welcome address was delivered by T. P. Singh, director NIELIT, Kohima while L. Jamithung Lotha, deputy secretary IT &C proposed vote of thanks during the inaugural function. Resource persons from NIELIT presented topics on ‘Introduction Into e-Governance & Insight Into the NeGP ‘e-Governance in India (Best Practices/Case Studies/Examples’, ‘Challenges in the Implementation of e-Governance Projects and Role of Leadership in e-Governance’ while Director IT & C Nagaland, Imjung M. Panger presented a talk on ‘e-Governance Initiatives in Nagaland’. Heads of Departments and Administrative Heads of various departments in Kohima attended the workshop.
