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V. Rishi Kumar

The Andhra Pradesh Government is all set to be connected. A blueprint to create a State-wide grid that moves towards the convergence era by handling voice, data and video communication is in the offing.

In yet another significant stride towards developing an integrated information technology and communication backbone for e-Governance, the Andhra Pradesh Government has drawn up a blueprint and has embarked on a mission to create a State-wide grid that meets the requirements of the Government in the convergence era handling voice, data and video communication.

The State Government had enlisted the services of consultants PriceWaterhouseCoopers to assist it to develop an integrated IT architecture as also draw up a security infrastructure for various e-governance applications cutting across departments in the State. Following this initiative, the State had identified several projects for development and these are gradually being integrated.

Since each of the projects has been developed independently, the Government has drawn up a blueprint that is aimed at facilitating an integrated development of the entire IT&C backbone and infrastructure in the State.

The State Government had initiated and conducted a research on various aspects of e-governance over the last few years through implementation of a few pilot projects and through external consultancies. The concepts and models developed in the process have been mapped. Following this, a big picture has been charted out. This picture incorporates core e-governance applications, data centre, group applications; delivery channels while covering various State verticals as also integrated security architecture.

To support the Government initiatives and to provide an enabling environment, the Government recently announced an integrated ICT Policy for the year 2002-2005, the first by a State in the county to initiate such a policy framework, which builds on the earlier IT policy.

According to the Principal Secretary, IT&C, J. Satayanarayana, this new network and blueprint drawn up by the State is aimed at providing an integrated backbone for all the State Government agencies. The State Government is in the process of implementing various e-governance projects and plans to reach out host of citizen centric services even up to the village level.

Though initially these services will be reached out up to all the 1,100 mandals (blocks) across the State, it is proposed to deploy up to village in a phased manner. With such ambitious plans, the Government is looking at this telecom backbone to serve the needs of all the diverse departments in the State.

The proposed broadband connectivity will link up the offices right from the seat of State administration — the State Secretariat down to the district level initially and to the village level gradually. This is expected to complement the existing Andhra Pradesh State Wide Area Network (APSWAN), which is used by the Chief Minister and the State Cabinet colleagues to host video conferencing facility with district collectorates.

This new network and the integrated grid is targeted at translating the State vision of providing swift and wide access of Government services across the State spreading to even the remotest parts. While this new network will provide the infrastructure, the integrated citizen services centres — e-Seva are now programmed to be deployed in other parts of the State.

Several of the e-governance applications, such as the Online Transactions Processing System (OLTP), e-procurement, which is being handled by Commerce One, AP Portal (handled by TCS) and social benefits management system, have been identified as core applications by the State Government. Since these projects involve huge IT spend, the Government is roping in strategic partners under the PPP (public private partnership) model, Satyanarayana maintained.

The ICT Department has estimated that over the next three four years, various State Government's IT&C applications will involve a total outlay of about Rs 2,000 crore, offering huge business opportunity for domestic software services companies to partner and deploy solutions for various departments, Satyanarayana added.

"The big picture has sharpened the understanding of the State Government of the key components of e-government, their inter-se priority, inter-dependence and linkages. The big picture is not static but is being constantly reviewed and fine-tuned. It is the earnest wish of the State to convert the big picture into a ground reality substantially by the middle of 2003," Satyanarayana, said after the launch of the ICT Policy 2002-2005.

Since these projects involve huge expenditure, the Government plans to take up core projects such as Integrated Financial Information Systems, the transformation of the Secretariat into a paperless office and transmission of information and data from remote parts of the State on a real time basis, as flagship applications. To ensure that these projects are grounded without delays, the domestic companies have been extended certain sops when associated with the State Government in various e-governance projects.

vrishi@thehindu.co.in

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