OESL to implement projects worth Rs34cr in 6 months

Orissa e-Governance Services Limited (OESL), a special purpose vehicle formed by the Orissa Computer Application Centre (OCAC) and IL&FS- Infrastructure Development Corporation would implement e-governance projects worth Rs 34 crore in Orissa over the next six months.

These e-governance projects include e-college, smart panchayat, project Nandini and a municipal e-governance project. Under the e-college project, students can obtain online applications for admission into 112 colleges throughout Orissa. “The e-college project envisages creation of infrastructure in the form of computer laboratories in the 112 general colleges of the state to be covered by this project. This project is being taken up by the state information technology department at an investment of Rs 17 crore and is expected to be completed within six months”, PK Rout, principal consultant (programme management unit), OCAC told Business Standard.

OESL would also implement a municipal e-governance project from April this year. This project being taken up under one of the Mission Mode projects of the Centre’s National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) involves an expenditure of Rs 14 crore.

This project aims to offer citizen centric services and under this project, online delivery services would be provided in 14 different areas.

The smart panchayat also being implemented as one of the Mission Mode projects under the NeGP at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore, seeks to provide online panchayat services to the people in rural areas.

“The pilot run for the smart panchayat project will be conducted in two blocks of Cuttack and Baripada districts in March this year. As a part of this project, a database of agricultural land and nature of soil will be maintained”, added Rout.

Besides, OESL is also implementing Project Nandini under assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This project meant for dairy farmers in the state is being implemented at a cost of Rs 40 lakh and the project is funded by UNDP.

The pilot trial for this project would be conducted in two blocks of Jagatsinghpur district in March this year. As a part of this project, a database would be maintained on the yield and output of milk. Under this project, the dairy farmers can get assistance from the common service centres, messages on mobiles and also by contacting the call centres on toll free numbers.