E AVAILABILITY OF GAZETTE ON WEBSITE IS A REVOLUTION IN E-GOVERNANCE

Availability of Official Gazette on the Goa Government's website immediately after its publication is an important milestone and a revolution in e- governance in Goa, said Mr Shantaram Naik during his visit to the office of National Informatic Centre at Porvorim on Monday.

Mr Naik said that he had been a votary of e- governance for the last many years and has been insisting with the government that once official gazette is made available on the website, important orders of the government, legislations, Rules, circulars are available to the members of the public ,moment they are published in the gazette.

Mr Naik paid the visit to NIC in order to discuss the matters relating to designing and installing of the websites of various departments of the Government.

Mr Naik had an hour long discussions with State Informatics Officer, Shri J.J.R.Anand ,Technical Director Shri K.P.Pariselvan and scientist Shri Venugopal Reddy. Mr Naik was accompanied by Shri Altinho Gomes, General Secretary GPCC, Goa Information and Technology Developmeny Corporation , Dr Ulhas Parab Vice-President Goa Khadi Board and Gurudas Natekar Secretary GPCC and proprietor Bhalchandra Technology.

Mr Naik said that most of the government departments do not have updated website despite mandatory provisions in the Goa Right to Information Act.

Citizens Charters which were put on the website many years back, have become outdated , they having not been updated. People get misguided by the information as they get wrong information by going through them.

In a statement issued after his visit to NIC Mr Naik says that Heads of Department in Goa must adopt the culture of opening their mails at least twice a day, and that, people should be given confidence that in case they sent representations through e mails, the same will be attended and replied through e-mails.

Mr. Naik said that Shri Anand of NIC told him that the process of introducing and authorizing digital signatures is going to materialize soon ,which again, is going to be an important step in e governance.

Mr Naik said he is going to visit soon the Goa Infotech Corporation which has also, lately, taken the responsibility of designing, maintaining and updating of government's website.

Mr Naik also said that he proposes to visit the office of Goa State Information Commission and meet the State Chief Information Commissioner, in this regards.

Taking administration to the door-steps of the people is very crucial , and that, he proposes to play a crucial role in this regards. In most of his public addresses in the last many years, he has been trying to carry the message of e-governance to the people, Mr Naik said.