Tamil Nadu government’s Information Technology ministry had requested the central government for around Rs 310 crore to support its two e-governance projects. Meanwhile to increase IT penetration in the state, the government is planning to sell desktop computers which would cost less than Rs 12,000.
In her inaugural speech at Citizen Empowerment Through Information Technology (CETIT), organised by Ficci and Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu (ELCOT), state IT department’s agency, Poongothi Aladi Aruna, Minister for State Information Technology said that the state government had written a letter to the union government to support two e-governance projects which are proposed at Schools and at Social Welfare Department with an outlay of Rs 310 crore.
The government had also asked the centre to add more districts from the state as part of the e-governance pilot project. She noted, five districts from the state are participating in the pilot, where 75 per cent of the government services are offered electronically.
The Minister noted, the union government had sanctioned Rs 55.8 crore for setting up second data centre in the state and Rs 181.69 crore to interconnect state headquarter with all the district head quarters.
Meanwhile as part of its plan to increase the IT penetration in the state, ELCOT is planning to sell desktop computers for less than Rs 12,000, said Santhosh Babu, managing director, ELCOT.
Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of CETIT he said that under House Hold Desktop Scheme these desktops and target would be middle class and lower middle class population in the state.
The corporation is planning to procure one lakh desktops for which it is planning to call from tenders next week, said Babu.
ELCOT earlier had launched a lap top scheme targeting students. So far, we have sold around 3,000 lap tops. “We have found financing is the issue, to address it the agency is studying few models,” he declined to comment further.
Commenting on the Mobile (M) Governance Project which was announced by the IT minister in the state assembly last week Babu said the agency is talking to all the mobile operators, who have agreed inprinciple, for the project which would allow citizens in Chennai to pay electricity bills, water tax and corporation related payments.
This would be a pilot based on the success the service will be taken to other parts of the state and more public sector utilities will be brought into the net, said Babu. The technology would be developed by Defiance, a Hinduja Group company.
“Technology is ready, we are waiting for Reserve Bank of India's clearance since banks gateways are going to be used," said Babu.
