The e-panchayat project initiated by the government earlier this year in little over 360 gram panchayats in the district is fraught with infrastructure deficiencies, mainly poor broadband internet connectivity, particularly in tribal sub-plan mandals in Bhadrachalam division.
The project was taken up as part of e-governance initiative to deliver citizen-centric services electronically, maintain a comprehensive database on the assets of the gram panchayats and facilitate easy access to gram panchayat data and services in a transparent manner.
The government agencies concerned have provided around 180 computers and related equipment to the select gram panchayats as part of the project. Around 170 trained operators were appointed to execute the project.
The offices of the MPDOs and Divisional Panchayat Offices were equipped with computers and other electronic paraphernalia to oversee proper implementation of the project.
These initiatives notwithstanding, the project is plagued with lack of high-speed broadband internet connectivity, the prerequisite for effective implementation of the e-panchayat project.
The computers allotted for this purpose in Venkatapuram mandal in Bhadrachalam division have remained underutilised for want of basic broadband internet access for a long, sources said.
Similar situation is prevailing in Dummugudem mandal where the project is being implemented only in three of the nine gram panchayats selected for the project in the predominantly tribal populated mandal.
The efforts by the officials concerned to harness the wireless internet services of some private service providers have met with little success.
Shadow over other initiative
The poor broadband internet connectivity in many tribal sub-plan mandals in the district has cast a shadow on the ambitious new initiative of the TRS government to set up ‘Palle Samagra Seva Kendram’ (One-stop service points) in more than 200 gram panchayats in the district in the second phase.
As many as ten Palle Samagra Seva Kendrams have already become operational in the district in the first week of October with an objective to deliver select services such as issuance of birth certificates digitally, sources added.
Official take
The e-panchayat project is fully operational in as many as 96 gram panchayats, says Ravinder, District Panchayat Officer, Khammam.
The project is being implemented through cluster headquarters equipped with broadband internet connectivity in respect of the gram panchayats those devoid of the internet access.
“We are in constant touch with the BSNL officials concerned to ensure expansion of internet services and hassle free broadband connectivity to the gram panchayats selected under the e-panchayat project,” Mr. Ravinder affirms.
