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ICTs for fighting corruptionBasheerhamad Shadrach, bshadrach@idrc.org.in

Secretary, Mission 2007 Asia Senior Program Officer, telecentre.org, IDRC

Corruption effects…

The poor are the most affected

Real loss of revenue for government

Petty corruption the large form of corruption in practice

Distances people from government and those in

authority

Increases tolerance to corruption in society

Extortion, collusion and systemic corruption are norms of the day

eGovernance effects…

The poor and the rich are equal beneficiaries

A real income drive for government; many a times saves

cost

Petty corruption is difficult as discretionary power does not exist

Brings government services at the door steps and finger tips, but

makes the authority invisible, thus collusion and extortion nearly

impossible

Increased awareness about rights

Yet the less known facts…

The relationship between

•eGovernance and fighting corruption

•ICT-enabled mechanisms to fight corruption and improving governance

ICTs for fighting corruption…

Some early trendsCurtailing large scale petty corruption in ‘Jumping the Queue’ phenomenon – Railway reservation?

Bhoomi project? DAVP computerisation? Pro-poor eGov research of TI national chapters? Community

monitoring of education? (typical eGov projects)

•Reducing the 4 billion dollar tuition industry – digital curriculum (an ICT for Development initiative)

•Withstanding the pesticides lobby – the Kolam Badi project (a program that banks upon the use of

ICT in a mainstream pilot)

•Booking high profile criminals - the ‘YOU’ phenomenon at work (the spin-off benefits of ICTs)

ICTs for fighting corruption…

The ‘YOU’ phenomenon

• Citizens’ journalism/reporting

• Tehelkha case

• The Delhi ceilings

• Haj pilgrims management?

• Strong bondage between citizens and media; and, demand for ‘Right to

information’

• Higher level of participation, empathy and solidarity

eGovernance as a disguise…

Creating incentives and ; better ecosystem for work

Call for a transparent Delhi replicating the Chicago model

The “name and shame” drive – teh CVC, CBI sites

Public grievances systems a mandatory tool to serve citizens

Mission mode projects to help fight corruption

eGovernance (India)…

The Plan

26 Mission mode projects

8 support components

Rs. 23000 Cr. ( US5.1 billion )

eGovernance (India)…

39 National e-Governance Plan

Panchayats Ministry of PanchayatiRaj

Beside CD, this information should also be made available on the net. Information should be updated within 3 months of the end of the financial year.

Information made available through CDs – updated once every year

Digitization of the Village Infrastructure on a Map

A consolidated data, updated every 6 months (within one month of September 30 and March 31) for a district to be coordinated by DPC to be made available through the Internet

Information made available on the Panchayat Boards and Ultimately Web

Dissemination of Data –BPL, PF for Landless Agricultural Laborers, education, Health facilities & status

Unaudited accounts / progress report to be updated online < 7 days of the month-end. Audited Accounts to be finalized within 4 months of the financial closure

Information made available on the Panchayat Boards and Ultimately Web

Receipt of Funds / Progress Report

Copy of Proceedings made online & through service centres within 2 working days of the transaction in villages where a CSC exist – else within 5 working daysCertified Copy of Proceedings to be made available through CSCs / Panchayat Office within 20 minutes of request.

Within 3 working days of the transaction through information made available on the Panchayat Boards and Ultimately Web

Copy of Proceedings of Gram Sabha and Action Taken Report

Benchmarked Service LevelsService Levels DefinedServices Proposed Under e-Panchayats

e-Panchayats 2/26 projects

eGovernance (India)…

Agriculture (1/26 projects)

Creation of a village level authentic, reliable and updatable database of soil health and the production of user friendly and updatable soil

health cards/passbooks for farming lands

•Creation of a nation-wide information Systems for quality seeds production,

preservation and distribution

•Creating credit and insurance information and advisory systems for the rural poor

• Creation of land information systems for the nation with cultivating patterns

eGovernance (India)…

Common Service Centres•100,000 telecentres in rural areas

•At least 10,000 centres in urban areas

•Access by mobile phone, web

•Capacity building for information entrepreneurs and change agents

•Access to private services

•An ally in national focus areas – health, agriculture, education, livelihoods,

governance

eGovernance (India)…

What is there for citizens

•Integrated & enhanced access to government services

•Clearly defined service levels

•Services at the doorstep with substantial rural outreach

•Increased efficiency

•Enhanced transparency

•Improved reliability

•Affordable cost

eGovernance (India)…

e-governance key to making India corruption free; All government

programmes must consider citizens as privileged customers

and become accountable for providing all services without

interruption and hassles. One of the means to ensure this is by

incorporation of a sound e-governance system

-The Honourable President of India Dr A P J Abdul Kalam at the State Anti-corruption Bureaux/Vigilance

Bureaux-2006‘ (16 Nov 2006)

eGovernance and anti-corruption….

E-government projects should not make a mention of anti-corruption

intent; but achieve it

Anti-corruption intent should not avoid making a mention of eGovernance; but labour it

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A million citizen-centric knowledge And empowerment centres

to revolutionize the world by 2010