The Gujarat State Wide Area Networking programme to achieve district and taluka level connectivity has received a setback due to procedural delay. Information Technology Secretary J.S. Rana admitted that even if there is a delay in the programme, Gujarat will be the first to establish connectivity in 240 talukas.

The state government will set up a special room for video-conferencing sessions in the Sachivalaya. Mr Rana said Andhra Pradesh may be the first to establish connectivity in all districts but the state government will go a step further.

Officer on special duty in-charge of GSWAN programme R.K. Dave said the programme is expected to be completed within the next 11 months. "The district level connectivity will now be achieved by February 2001 whereas the taluka-wise connectivity will be achieved by June 2001," Mr Dave said. He further said the state government is also inching forward towards achieving e-governance, and is expected to save crores of rupees through the same.

Mr Dave said GSWAN will facilitate a public interface as everybody will be able to access information. He said it is difficult to estimate the total cost of the programme as it depends on the number of offices and departments that will be encompassed in the programme. The multi service network system GSWAN will take care of the audio, video and data communication in all government and other offices. It will put the state at par with the leading IT states in the country. The state government has already attained connectivity in Rajkot, Vadodara, Surat , Kheda and Nadiad. It had announced that the connectivity in the rest of the districts will be attained by August end.

It may be recalled that Andhra Pradesh was the pioneer of the district level connectivity and its chief minister Chandrababu Naidu communicates directly with all district officers to ensure expediency.

Giving details of the programme, Mr Rana said at present nine parties including Reliance Telecom, GNFC, Wipro, Aracom, Tata Telecom, Hindustan Computers Ltd, Comnet, United Telecom and Global Telesystem have bid for the project. As many as 64 companies had bid initially, which was shortlisted to nine companies.

"The bids are in the final stages and an agreement is likely to be made in the next 15 days," Mr Rana said. The Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board is expected to finalise the concession agreement on the proposal soon. The concession agreement will be signed on the basis of built, operate, own and maintain or BOOM and the state government will not incur any expenditure towards the capital costs initially. "The state government will compensate by way of four installments paid towards the capital costs in the next eight years, Mr Rana said.

Republished from Asian Age