Meghalaya inks MSA for e-governance

Shillong, Jul 9 (UNI) The Meghalaya Government today signed a Master Service Agreement (MSA) with BASIX (Bhartiya Samruddhi Investments and Consulting Services), a micro-finance multinational company to launch a novel citizen-friendly facility called Community Service Centre (CSC) in the state.

Meghalaya was the first state in eastern India to replace the failed Community Information Centre (CIC) by the CSCs is aimed at furthering the government's e-governance outreach and to bring administration closer to the people.

The MSA was signed on Wednesday between the BASIX representative PD Rai and state Principal Secretary in-charge Information Technology A K Srivastava in presence of Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee.

IT Commissioner and Secretary DP Wahlang said the online outreach and objectives is to make the people feel e-governance will bring about a whirlwind revolution in the rural economy.

He said the CSC will be set up in 225 villages spread across the state.

Out of it 70 will be set up in East Khasi Hills district, 40 West Garo Hills, 30 Jaintia Hills district, 25 each for West Khasi Hills, Ri Bhoi district and East Garo Hills and 10 in South Garo Hills, he said.

BASIX has bid at zero cost from the government of Meghalaya and it means that it will have to set up the CSCs by providing all infrastructural needs through the Village Level Entrepreneur (VLE) in the designated village.

Wahlang said the VLE will be selected and trained by BASIX.

The CSCs should attract much patronage as consumers will be charged a minimal fee so as to unshackle them from the weighty yoke of time wasting and unpleasant under the table payments while remitting electricity, telephone bills, buying plane or train tickets, procurement of shares or even procurement and submission of forms etc, he said.

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