Odisha mulls virtual IT cadre

For effective implementation of various IT enabled projects in different departments, the state government is contemplating to create a virtual IT cadre.

Sources said, four to five employees with proficiency in IT will be selected in each department and after training they will be deployed in their respective departments to drive the IT projects. These employees will execute, manager and monitor the implementation of sector specific projects, especially those related to e-governance.

The selected officials may be given monetary incentives, like additional 10 per cent of their salaries, to take up the new assignment.

The decision to formulate a virtual cadre in the state was discussed at state IT ministers conference on August 26 held at New Delhi, which was attended by state IT minister, Pranab Prakash Das.

The state IT department is working on the modalities of creating the virtual cadre and a notification in this regard will be issued soon.

It may be noted that directorate of information technology of Maharashtra is the first to put in place such a cadre in line with the Nandan Nilekani report on HR policies of e-Governance.

Nandan Nilekani Committee, which submitted its report to Department of IT, Government of India in January 2013 regarding HR policies for e-governance, has recommended creation of a virtual cadre in different government departments rather than creation of posts in IT department. The report says that "Some countries have created a dedicated IT cadre with a high level of expertise to execute, manage and monitor e-governance projects".

Another state Madhya Pradesh has also similar structure for implementation of various e-governance projects.

On e-governance initiatives taken up by Odisha government under National e-governance plan (NeGP), the State wide Area Network (SWAN) and the State Data Centre (SDC) have been operational since 2010-11. The government is connecting all the offices with dedicated network through horizontal connectivity project under SWAN. The connectivity would be extended up to gram panchayat level through National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) over the next two years.

Among others, e-district is another major project, which is currently being implemented in all districts for delivery of services such as issue of death and birth certificates, caste certificate, residence certificate and income certificate.

Odisha will be the third state to set up a virtual IT cadre, officials said.