Key e-Governance projects to have Rs 40,000-cr outlay

The government today pegged the total outlay for all 27 Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) at around Rs 40,000 crore. Of this, Rs 10,000 crore has been spent on 14 projects, which have started functioning. This year, three more projects will be approved, and by 2014 all projects will start delivering services. “The total outlay for the MMPs including the capital expenditure and lifelong operating expenditure is between Rs 30,000 crore and Rs 40,000 crore, of which Rs 10,000 crore has already been spent. All projects will go live by 2014,” said R Chandrashekhar, secretary, Department of Information Technology (DIT), here today while addressing an event on NeGP.

The 14 projects that have already started delivering services include mobile computer applications (MCA21), pensions, central excise, income-tax, passport, banking and insurance, land records and road transport. Under these projects, 1,100 services are likely to be available progressively. Of these, 600 citizen- and business-centric services are now available electronically.

The projects yet to be approved are e-procurement, e-PRI, agriculture and employment exchange.

“To enable all this, state-wide connectivity is being provided through State Wide Area Networks ensuring a minimum of 2 Mbps connectivity up to block levels. SWANs are operational in 23 states and the remaining will become operational by March 2011,” Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar, who was present on the occasion, said.