Freedom from distance: CICs in northeast

GUWAHATI: Freedom from distance is no mean achievement in the northeast where, in the absence of roads, elephants and boats transported computers for an I-T project together with helicopters.
Naturally, there was much jubilation and history was created when Union Communications and IT Minister, Pramod Mahajan, operationalised Community Information Centres (CICs) in almost all the 487 blocks of the northeast and Sikkim.
"This is a dream come true. It shows that the northeast might be dur (far away) from Delhi, but you are not dur from our dil (hearts)", Mahajan said, equating the CICs with the kalpavriksh of Hindu mythology.
"Whatever information the north-easterner dreams of acquiring, from telemedicine to e-governance, will now be available to him at the click of a mouse. There are no parallels to these CICs in the world - I am sure it will emerge as a role model for other countries to follow", the minister commented, thanking the states for their cooperation in ensuring the completion of this project in record time.
The CICs, set up usually at BDO offices, schools, panchayat ghars and youth centres, will be offering Internet facilities, besides acting as an information centre for getting news, government gazettes, service rules and employment news. Road and rail reservations, health care and telemedicine, e-education, e-governance, e-commerce centres to get news on latest farming methods will also be on offer.
IT secretary, Rajeev Ratna Jha, spoke about how insurgents - who had thrice hijacked vehicles carrying equipments for this project - amazingly released it after being briefed about the purpose of the hardware.
"Ät some places, where there were no roads, we used boats, elephants and even helicopters to transport the machinery", he said, promising that the few blocks where the CICs had not started would be made operational by August 31.
As part of this Rs 242 crore project, each centre has been equipped with one server level computer connected in LAN, a Ku-Band VSAT to provide Internet connectivity, a router, a generator for power back-up and a set of printers to facilitate printing of forms and reports. Nominal user charges will be charged to ensure sustainability.
"Due to drop in hardware prices, the project cost came down by about Rs 20 to Rs 30 crores", Mahajan observed.
Grateful governments of the northeast profusely thanked Mahajan and his team for the CICs. "The government and the people will come closer with the CICs", Manipur Chief Minister O.Ibobi Singh said.
Agreed his Meghalaya counterpart, Dr F.A.Khonglam: "We are deeply grateful to the centre and the IT ministry."
Arunachal Pradesh Health Minister S Nemo, requested that more CICs should be set up in certain very remote areas of his state where the government had to airdrop food for its officials posted there.