<p>Additional Secretary in the IT Department S R Rao said the Union government is putting in close to Rs 270 crore for building the data centre, state portal, wide area networks, capacity building and common service centres.<br /><br />"This is over and above 800-odd crores of rupees that is going to come in through mission-mode projects (in Karnataka)," he said at a regional summit on eGovernance and digitisation of government here.<br /><br />"We (the union government's e-governance department) have surplus funds," he said, adding it is just that states and local bodies need to show "willingness" and come out with e-governance projects focussed on financial and socio-economic inclusion, for funding.<br />Rao said his department and the industry proposed to build a common platform which should enhance the speed of delivery of services to citizens.<br /><br />He said the government would organise a two-day seminar next month for SAARC nations in which India would showcase its progress and initiatives in e-governance area. <br />Vice-President and Business Head -- Asia Pacific and Middle East, Wipro Consulting Services, Anurag Srivastava termed e-governance as a transformation and employment tool in the hands of government for social inclusion.<br /><br />Founder Director of Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, S Sadagopan wanted e-governance services to be delivered in an unobtrusive way.<br />Karnataka's e-Governance Secretary M N Vidyashankar said e-governance is the only good road to good governance and added that while technology is expensive, not using technology is even more expensive.<br /><br />Top e-governance government officials from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry attended the day-long seminar, sharing best practices in their states.</p>
<p>Additional Secretary in the IT Department S R Rao said the Union government is putting in close to Rs 270 crore for building the data centre, state portal, wide area networks, capacity building and common service centres.<br /><br />"This is over and above 800-odd crores of rupees that is going to come in through mission-mode projects (in Karnataka)," he said at a regional summit on eGovernance and digitisation of government here.<br /><br />"We (the union government's e-governance department) have surplus funds," he said, adding it is just that states and local bodies need to show "willingness" and come out with e-governance projects focussed on financial and socio-economic inclusion, for funding.<br />Rao said his department and the industry proposed to build a common platform which should enhance the speed of delivery of services to citizens.<br /><br />He said the government would organise a two-day seminar next month for SAARC nations in which India would showcase its progress and initiatives in e-governance area. <br />Vice-President and Business Head -- Asia Pacific and Middle East, Wipro Consulting Services, Anurag Srivastava termed e-governance as a transformation and employment tool in the hands of government for social inclusion.<br /><br />Founder Director of Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore, S Sadagopan wanted e-governance services to be delivered in an unobtrusive way.<br />Karnataka's e-Governance Secretary M N Vidyashankar said e-governance is the only good road to good governance and added that while technology is expensive, not using technology is even more expensive.<br /><br />Top e-governance government officials from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry attended the day-long seminar, sharing best practices in their states.</p>