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Web Widens To Include Grassroots, Govt Plans Broadband Connection For Panchayat Across The Country

By ugesh sarkar, Section Computer Gupshup
Posted on Tue Sep 22, 2009 at 11:57:11 PM EST

This is an effort to bring the world wide web to the grassroots. If all goes as planned, in the next three years, panchayats across the country will have a broadband connection for e-governance.

In its second term, the UPA government has concretised Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's proposal to build Rajiv Gandhi Bharat Nirman Seva Kendra at every panchayat -- the lowest level elected local body in a three-tier system.

This will mean that villagers do not have to travel long distances to government offices for for petty jobs and will be able to skip the red-tape.

The Rs 28,000-crore (Rs 280 billion) scheme is the third biggest rural development scheme after National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (Rs 39,100 crore) and National Rural Livelihood Mission (Rs 10,000 crore). The kendra (centre) will be set up in a two-room building to be constructed in each of the 265,000 panchayats.

The state governments will provide the land,while the Centre will fund the infrastructure.

Once the kendras start functioning, the villagers would be able to check their National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme bank accounts, pay premium for health insurance scheme for below poverty line families and can get many other services through these centres.

Source: Hindustan TimesWeb widens to include grassroots

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"All government schemes would be administered through these seva kendras (service centres)," said Mihir Shah, a Planning Commission member.
"These centres will connect Indian villages with the world through high speed internet to be provided by BSNL."

A centre, on an average, would cater to 5,000 people -- population under the jurisdiction of a panchayat.

To make former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's dream of spreading the knowledge of computers in every village a reality, Panchayati Raj minister C.P.
Joshi has asked the Planning Commission to allow his ministry to fully fund the scheme.

In most cases, the central and the state government share the funding of a scheme.

The Centre funds up to 75 per cent of any scheme in a state, except to special category states, which get 90 per cent funds. The state government pays the remaining amount.

The ministry fears that the scheme will not work if the central government fails to pay the entire amount for building the centres. The state governments will not be willing to pay, a ministry official said.

The Planning Commission is not averse to the idea, but wants Panchayati Raj ministry to seek opinion of the Department of Information Technology on whether BSNL is in a position to provide high-speed broadband connections to all panchayats within three years.

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