Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has asked the Union Government, particularly the Union Communications and Information Technology Minister to expand and strengthen communication network in the State, so that internet and related facilities could be effectively provided upto the village level in the State. Chief Minister had a detailed meeting in this regard with the Union Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal at New Delhi today.
Chief Minister said that effective use of Information Technology could ensure major improvement in governance and administration. He said that the State Government was ensuring effective use of Information Technology from top to the Panchayati Raj level. He said that people centric services were being provided to the masses through ‘Lok Mitra Kendra’ in rural areas and there was proposal to convert about ten important departments as ‘e-Office’, for brining efficiency and transparency in their functioning.
Virbhadra Singh urged the Union Minister to provide liberal assistance for the on-going Projects to strengthen Communication and Information Technology in the State.
Chief Minister informed the Union Minister that people centric services were being provided to the people of the State through about 2500 ‘Lok Mitra Kendras’. He said that such ‘Kendras’ would soon be setup at Himachal Bhawan in New Delhi and Chandigarh, in order to provide important information to the Himachalis living outside the state. He said that effective use of Information Technology was being ensured to provide modern education to the school children. He said that meritorious students of 10th and 12th standard were being provided ‘Netbook’ so that they could cope with the emerging challenges of new technology.
While appreciating the efforts of the State Government to promote Information Technology, Union Minister Kapil Sibal ensured the Chief Minister for providing all possible helps to the endeavour of the state in using Information Technology for bring administrative reforms. He also appreciated the efforts of the State Government in providing internet connectivity even in the rural areas.
