Moa Jamir
Dimapur | June 18
Amidst the horde of idle-minded government departments sitting in lethargy when it comes to connecting with the masses through information technology, there are however some notable exceptions.
The Nagaland Raj Bhavan’s website - rajbhavan.nagaland.gov.in, for instance is one of the well maintained sites. Among others, all the updated activities and speeches of the incumbent Governor PB Acharya are available at the site.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is in power at the centre, is ahead of its counterparts when it comes to digital-savviness. For instance, the BJP Nagaland has a verified twitter as well as a Facebook account, while its legislators like Mmhonlumo Kikon, P Paiwang Konyak and other functionaries are using the medium regularly. A parody Twitter account of Nagaland Chief Minister does exist.
The ‘Nagaland State Portal’ (https://www.nagaland.gov.in) as a single point of access to services offered by Government of Nagaland is also another exception. However, apart from the online services and facility to download various policies and documents, a Facebook handle has remained largely inactive since August 2016.
24/7 web Portal
Two Nagaland Government website stand out from others for their innovation, real time interactions as well as numerous e- services - The Department of Power, Nagaland, DoPN (http://www.dopn.gov.in) and The Department of Taxes, Nagaland (http://nagalandtax.nic.in).
The DoPN’s Web Self Service (WSS) facility, among others, allow consumers to view and pay bills, raise and track service requests, and register phone number for receiving billing status via SMS etc. However, the coverage is still low. Another interesting feature of the DoPN website is the energy calculator.
The Department of Taxes’ website also has real time interaction and along with latest updated information. The website also offers various an electronic services including e-payment, e-Registration, e-Road Permit, transit pass, TIN verification etc. It also has a dedicated section for Good and Services Tax, beside Demo e-Services for the various services it provides. The Department claimed that it is the only 24/7 live web portal in the state
Two other government entities that have been efficiently using information tools to bridge the trust deficit with the people and setting examples are the Dimapur Police & Nagaland Public Service Commission. Both have active social media accounts and constantly interact with the public in real time.
Expectedly, the Department of Information and Public Relations’ website centered on information’s relating to government activities is also well-maintained and up-do-date.
Well-maintained and resourceful
The Nagaland - Accountant General (A&E) website regularly updates information about GPF final payment & pension cases settled with facilities to register grievances online promising real time tracking of status updates through SMS, e-mail and online. Other reports including the latest CAG Report can be accessed here.
The Economics & Statistics Department website was last updated on May 23. Users can download various economic data indicators like Nagaland State Economic Survey including the latest 2016-17, Economic Census, Statistical Handbook, price statistics etc.
When The Morung Express visited the Finance Department’s website, it was last updated on May 31. It was also well maintained with valuable resources, including the latest State Budget, Annual Financial Statement 2017-18, Demand for Grants 2017-18 etc.
A disclaimer in Nagaland Police’s website said it was last updated in June 1, 2016. But its Virtual Police Station (VPS) and Nagaland Police SMS Based Vehicle Monitoring System offer real time interaction. It also stores a treasure of information especially the phone directory of Nagaland Police officers and its various units. Quite often though, there are instances of mismatched name and designation. Further, its Facebook handle’s last posting was May 20, 2013.
The Motor Vehicles Department (Transport Department) website, though well maintained and resourceful, also needs regular updating. Its update notification says ‘coming soon’ and has records till March 31, 2015. The new Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill 2016 is yet to find mention on its website.
The Nagaland Information Commission is also another resourceful website. While most of its other links were tad old, all the latest departmental RTI disclosure were posted on the website.
The State Election Commission website has the Final Electoral Roll 2017 but a Facebook handle for direct interaction was largely inactive though it did share an event of the Election Commission of India in May 2017.
Two websites closely connected with public service and development, the Department of Planning & Coordination and Nagaland Pollution Control Board, though well-maintained and informative, need regular updating.
The Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms’ website had ‘Compendium of Office Memorandum’ last updated on April 28, 2016. The Directorate of Technical Education’s website was last updated on May 26, 2017.
The activities of Department of Youth Resources and Sports were uploaded till October 2016. While its social media handle shows Facebook, Twitter, Link.in logo, none of the ‘links’ were working.
(This is the conclusion of a three part series on the Nagaland Government’s internet readiness)
This is the updated version of an article titled, “Nagaland Govt dept websites that are ‘alive and kicking” published in print issue of The Morung Express on June 19.
