E-GOVERNANCE

The State of Tamil Nadu is making rapid strides to e-governance by making the state administration fully computerized. Already several State Government Departments have computerized their internal management systems and several aspects of the public utility services.

The Government of Tamil Nadu has official website and all the Secretaries to Government and Department/Commissionerate Heads are having email ids for effective and speedy interference and action. Mere launching of web site and computerization does not result in e-governance, the fruit of e-governance must be enjoyed by the general public.  The Secretaries to Government, Department Heads must give strict instructions to their staffs to put the computers to maximum utilization and see that e-governance is a success.

It is very unfortunate that e-mails is not checked regularly in most government departments.  Thus many representations/complaints made by the general public through e-mail goes unnoticed. Not even an acknowledgement is  made for receipt of the representation/complaints even through e-mail, though it incurs no cost at all.  It is very disappointing and sad that even e-mail sent to the top level officials at the rank of Secretary to Government evokes no response or even acknowledgement. There is also a general attitude on the part of the officials to simply ignore the representation sent through email.  For the success of e-governance the government officials must be instructed to acknowledge the receipt of        e-mail representation/communication through e-mail (which at least brings satisfaction to the aggrieved that their representation has reached the hands of the decision making authorities)  and action taken on the representation may also be intimated to the concerned general public through e-mail.

At this juncture it is also pertinent to bring to your kind attention that when attempts were made to send information through FAX ends in futile.  When attempt is made the staff who pick up the phone before switching on the fax, request details and bluntly directs to send the information through courier or registered post. (The fax messages are received without any query by the CM Grievance Cell, Home Department) Is this right and proper.  Just the common man is thus denied his right of seeking interference of the top level officials and he/she is not able to submit their grievance in case of extreme urgency to the toppest level.