Service centre scheme hits roadblock

The ‘Common Service Centre’ (BNCSC) vision of the UPA government, to introduce e-governance on a massive scale across the country, has hit a roadblock in Haryana as services of two Service Centre Agencies (SCA) have been terminated.

The Common Services Centres (CSC) Scheme is a mission mode project of the Department of Information Technology under the National e-Governance Program (NeGP) to provide a range of citizen services from both the government and business through rural internet-enabled kiosks across the country. The PPP model of the BNCSC scheme envisages a three-tier structure consisting of the BNCSC operator (called Village Level Entrepreneur or VLE) the Service Centre Agency (SCA), who would be responsible for a division of 500-1000 CSCs and a State Designated Agency (SDA). Haryana State Electronics Development Corporation (HARTRON) is the State Designated Agency (SDA) for facilitating the implementation of the CSC Scheme in Haryana.

With services of two SCA providers terminated and the ‘third put under scanner’, it has put in jeopardy the plans of Haryana to have CSC rolled out across 1159 rural ‘ panchayats ’ and 104 urban areas across the state.

Haryana claims to be the pioneer in rolling out the ‘Bharat Nirman Common Service Centre’ scheme as the officials claim that agreement for rolling out the CSC with the SCA in four divisions of state was signed in 2007 with few of the CSC made operational in 2008.

For rolling out ‘BNCSC scheme in four divisions across the state, three players viz Sark System Jaipuria group, Comat technologies and 3i Infotech Limited were selected. However, the agreement with Comat technologies and 3i Infotech Limited stands cancelled. According to sources the role of Sark System Jaipuria group is also under scanner, even as no final decision on termination of the agreement has been taken so far.

The officials who wished not to be quoted maintained technical bids have been invited for rolling out the scheme in the state and care has been taken that earlier mistakes are not repeated. Only those players have been called who have expertise in running this scheme in other states. The officials believe the process for short-listing the players would be over in 1-2 months and players are expected to roll out the CSC services in Haryana by early next year.

B2C services, such as computer literacy, railway information, e-mail and net surfacing, DTP and printing, education and legal consultancy would be provided to the villagers at nominal rates. A host of other B2C services will be added soon. The State Government also aims to provide G2C services such as details of land records, electricity bills, birth and death certificates, caste, income, domicile certificate, application form for driving licences and passports.