HYDERABAD: Developed by Tata Consulting Services (TCS), the largest IT consulting firm in Asia, in partnership with the state government, the project is expected to streamline the complex government procedures, enhance efficiency through workflow automation and knowledge management. The state launched the pioneering project on the occasion of its founding day as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu electronically cleared four files. SmartGov is seen as the most important step taken by the state after computerisation of land records and the transport department and the launching of e-seva, under which a host of government services are being provided to the people of Hyderabad. TCS, which has spent 240 million on the project, is holding 80 percent ownership rights while the state government, which has spent 40 million, is holding 20 percent rights in the project. As per the plans, the project will be implemented in 14 departments in the secretariat and 10 related government agencies or offices. By December the project, with 460 applications, will cover the remaining 19 departments and more than 200 related government agencies or offices. The state government said it has plans to replicate the model at district and later at village cluster levels. Under the project 4,028 paper files have already been converted into digital form, while 16,645 files are at an advanced stage of digitisation. Another 35,000 files will be loaded on to the network when it becomes fully operational in a few months. Terming the project as a milestone, the chief minister said this would cut down on bureaucratic red tape and improve efficiency in the governance. "The project will stabilise state's position as number one state in use of IT as a tool for good governance. It will be a model worth emulating." Naidu said SmartGov has been an important step in the government's plans to provide services on the Net. He said the government plans provide for all state-related information on the Net and introduce an electronic payment system. Claiming that Sri Lanka and many state governments in India had evinced keen interest in replicating the SmartGov project, both TCS and the Andhra Pradesh government announced plans to make it a global project. V. Chandrasekhar, head of the project team from TCS, said Tamil Nadu and Kerala besides Sri Lanka had evinced interest in replicating the project. If TCS earns revenues by selling this product to other states and countries, it will share the same with the Andhra Pradesh government on an 80:20 basis. TCS is also expected to implement all new improvements on the project in Andhra Pradesh first, while replicating SmartGov in other places.
Source: IANS