Case Study

IT for effective Panchayats

Renuka Vembu finds out how the West Bengal Government adopted IT to speed up their processes and operations, improve upon efficiency and bring about standardized functioning

The Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department (PR and RD) of the West Bengal Government wanted to bring about governance within the Panchayati institutions, making them more speedy, effective and efficient. They required an innovative, inexpensive and sturdy infrastructure which ensured the availability of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to its residents. The implementation of ICT thus paved way for a more standardized implementation which translated into higher level of manageability and visibility.

The objectives

Ranjit Kumar Maiti, Joint Secretary, Panchayat and Rural Development Department, Government of West Bengal, pointed out the reasons why IT implementation was considered necessary to the functioning of the department:

• Decision-support system for Panchayati Raj Institutions
• Tool for transparency, disclosure of information to citizens, social audit and accountability
• Better and convergent delivery of services to citizens
• Improving internal management and efficiency of Panchayats
• A means for capacity building
• As an e-procurement medium

The aim of the project was to bring about effective governance within the Panchayati institutions that were efficient, innovative, quick, easy to monitor and inexpensive.

The vendor

A Panchayat official working on his computer

The WB Government was looking for a solution whereby they could easily install software like the Gram Panchayat Management System (GPMS), Integrated Fund Monitoring and Accounting System (IFMAS) and Rural Household Survey (RHS). In addition to this, they also wanted easy access and efficient utilization of all their existing resources.

They began their preliminary talks with AMD in July 2007. The first demonstration was held on a Dell-make AMD processor-based PC. Maiti asserted, “The demonstration imbibed all the specifications as directed by Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojna (RGSY), resulting in AMD and its partners securing the order for the first batch of desktops. This paved the way for a second one from the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF). Once again the demonstrations resulted in additional procurement of desktops from the company and its partners. Content with the delivery of service on the platform, both these departments allocated additional budgets to procure desktops.”

AMD’s partners undertook the installation of these desktops in two phases. The first phase focused on the execution of RGSY that commenced in January 2008 and is now on the verge of completion. They are on the road to execute the delivery and installation for the second phase, which is BRGF.

How it works

The GPMS software is used by the Panchayats for better information management, resource planning and utilization. Further, it is also used to issue various certificates and for registration purposes like birth and death registration. IFMAS is used to ensure financial discipline to standardize the accounting system in all Panchayat Samitis and Zilla Parishads. “The software helps us to monitor funds, exercise budgetary control and promote transparency and accountability,” explained Maiti.

The program was initiated by the State Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department and the total project cost was Rs 3.8 crores, of which 40% was spent on capacity building activities in the Gram Panchayat.

Challenges encountered

The Panchayati institutions required a sturdy infrastructure that ensured the availability of ICT to its residents. The infrastructure required had to weather the conditions of a rural environment and other hurdles like power shortage that impedes the delivery of services to its residents. Therefore, the West Bengal Government had ensured that most of the Panchayati Raj Institutions have at least one personal computer at its disposal. The government intended to further this by providing three additional personal computers per Gram Panchayat and five-six per block.

Maiti added, “The addition of PCs would ensure that their proprietary software such as the GPMS, IFMAS and RHS could be deployed quickly for efficient delivery of services and moreover, the monitoring of the various schemes and programs from the central and the state government.”

Benefits leveraged

The project has enabled them to achieve effective governance within the Panchayati Raj Institutions. By bringing in IT implementation, they have saved money, which is now used to procure extra hardware as well as licensed software.

For the short-term, they have reaped more than they invested. The savings has aided them in procurement of about 20% more for PRI locations apart from procuring licensed software and other essential peripherals for improving the functioning of the systems. In the long run, they will keep a tab on the performance and service backup for the same.

They asserted that the economic implementation of technology provided standardized implementation of higher level of manageability and visibility. As a consequence, the PR and RD was able to deploy an innovative process, which:

• is economical while producing the same output.
• is quicker whereby the same output consumes less time.
• works effectively to offer higher standards of citizen services.

renuka.vembu@expressindia.com