The Maharashtra government plans to set up around 9,000 kiosks across the state on a build, operate, own and transfer basis to mark the year 2008 as the 'Year of IT and e-governance'. It is currently evaluating the bids it has received on various parameters including the technology to be used and user-friendliness of the interface.

The kiosks will offer government services like land records, various licences, getting cast or domicile certificates, filing of VAT return, payment of motor vehicle tax, and enrolment forms for the state government's pension scheme for the old and destitute. The operators, running these kiosks, will be allowed to collect user charges to recover their investment.

Confirming the development, Maharashtra IT secretary K Shivaji told Business Standard: "Apart from ushering in an era of transparency and reducing the influence of middlemen involved in the process, it (the move to set up kiosks) will help people from rural areas to save on travel time besides loss of income."

People who require various government services are most often from the poor and lower-middle class, engaged in various odd jobs, he noted. If they have to avail of these services, they have to either go to the taluka headquarters or district headquarters, spend a day in figuring out which office they have to submit the forms; then fill the forms, collect the documents submit them. "It's a tedious and time-consuming process. Besides, it means the loss of a day's wages for that person, which he or she can hardly afford," explained Shivaji.

The government plans to install the virtual government office (read kiosk) in every small town, if not in every village, which is often a local marketplace where people often go to work or shop - thus reducing their travel expenses. Then it will make government machinery accountable. Once the application is submitted, if the person concerned doesn't get the required certificate or NOC or licence from the government office within the stipulated time, an explanation will have to be given, failing which action will be taken, noted Shivaji.

"It will help senior officials like district collectors to track how the government machinery in his/her district is functioning and take corrective measures if the job is not satisfactory," he added.

Meanwhile, as a part of the e-governance drive, the state has also connected all 358 taluka headquarters and 35 district headquarters with Mantralya using broadband (2 Mbps line which can be upgraded to 6 Mbps if required, and up to 32 Mbps, without making any additions to the physical infrastructure). Shivaji explained that this is "making inter-departmental transfer of data, exchange of memos, government circulars, etc., instantaneous, and secure".

To set up this dedicated network, the state government has already spent over Rs 100 crore. "Now that this architecture for e-governance is ready, we will be adding features to make our system more transparent which will eventually make the decision-making process fast and accurate," he asserted.