Rural Computing: Role of Telecentres for developing e-government for a citizen centric New Nepal
25th April 2009
A telecenter
is a public place where people can access computers, the Internet,
and other digital technologies that enable them to gather information, create,
learn, and communicate with others while they develop essential digital skills.
Telecenter can gave the services like ICT Education and
Training, e-mail and internet access, information dissemination,
citizen-centric applications, entertainment and news, provides real time
e-government services, e-medicine, weather information, market access and
e-commerce, etc.
The chaired
person of the second session of Rural Computing was Hari Ram Koirala, Secretary
of Prime Minister’s Office and co-chaired of the session was Subodh Tripathi. The
first speaker for the second session of the conference was conducted by Dr.
Subarna Shakya, who is Executive Director of National Information Technology
Center. According Mr. Shakya the
e-Government is the use of Information and Communication Technologies to
promote more efficient and effective government, and make it more accessible
and accountable to the citizens. He adds “It is
the application of ICT to the system of governance to ensure a wider
participation and deeper involvement of citizens, institutions, NGOs as well as
private firms in the decision making process”.
The
establishment of telecentres through the
ADB Project will be linked to the operation of a rural wireless broadband
network to be built and run at the district level to support telecentres that are financially nonviable.
He focused on the Rural E-community, computing
infrastructure, telecentres are effective tools for enabling e-governance to a
citizen centric new Nepal.
(DN,GK,AP)