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Community Information Centre (CIC) is a major initiative from the government of India to utilize IT (Information Technology) as a cutting edge tool of development for the North Eastern States including Sikkim. The Government of India plans to establish 487 CICs by 15th August 2002. Through these CICs people in that region will avail the benefits of Global connectivity through Internet. These CICs are equipped with computer peripherals along with VSATs Satellite Communication.

The establishment of the CICs constitutes a tremendously challenging task in view of the remoteness of the area and the difficult mountainous terrain. In a region where good communication is lacking, satellite based links to the world outside will usher in a revolution in socio-economic development. The establishment of Community Information Centres (CICs) has been envisaged as a means to use the benefits of Information Technology (IT) to raise the socio-economic conditions of the people of India particularly those in the remote areas of the North Eastern states. This project is planned as a major initiative to utilize IT as a cutting edge tool of development for the state by establishing Community Information Centres. 33 Blocks have been covered under the project implemented during 2000-2002. These CICs will help the region avail the benefits of global connectivity through Internet and will also help the state government to plan for IT based citizen-centric applications making government. services available through CICs. Under the project, computers, peripherals along with VSATs for satellite communication have been placed at designated locations in each block in the State.

• To establish IT infrastructure at the block level
• To create IT awareness amongst the local populace
• To provide Internet services such as E-mail and Web access
• To conduct computer based training programmes
• To provide Citizen Centric services
• To provide access to Socio-Economic databases
• To facilitate distance education
• To use IT tools for sustainable regional development

Scope of CICs:

Computer and communication infrastructure have been set up in each block and are located in a Community and Rural Development building. In order to ensure uninterrupted communication, the Centres are connected through a satellite based computer communication network. Each CIC is equipped with a VSAT, computer systems, printers and networking equipment.

The CICs will not only facilitate the region to avail the benefits of global connectivity through Internet, but will also bring the region closer, emotionally, to the national mainstream by enabling more efficient and faster information flow amongst the people, State Governments and the Central Government.

Establishment of CICs will help bridge the digital divide between the North East and the rest of the country. Local language interfaces are expected to be provided for Citizen Centric services. These services will entail an IT-enabled interface for public dealings of the government. Some examples are Comprehensive House hold Survey, MPLAD Schemes, Schemes for the underprivileged, Local Market information and so on. There will be an increased awareness of IT especially under the IGNOU programme where a course on Computer Literacy Programme (CLP) was launched in almost all the CIC centres. The project create a knowledge based society and skill enhancement in the Blocks. Internet access will tremendously benefit college goers and professionals among others.

SITE PROFILE

The experience from the Pilot project has been very encouraging. Many of the CICs receive over a 100 visitors every week who use e-mail facilities, word processing applications, browse the Web, attend Training sessions and generally improve their familiarity with computers and awareness of IT. The public and state governments have appreciated the CIC concept. Most of the CICs are able to generate modest revenue by charging nominally for these services. The CICs are eventually expected to become self-sustaining.

One of the Pilot CICs is in the Raha block of Assam. This CIC is providing path-breaking services to the local community through Web access, E-mail, Word-processing, etc. A user received information over the Net from the Neurological Research Institute, Guwahati for treatment of his father’s illness. Another user used the Internet to order medicines from Apollo Hospitals, Chennai. A third accessed the Web to obtain a comparative price list of computers in order to purchase one. A bank officer received the result of his correspondence course in Banking. A filmmaker planning to register his entry for the film festival received the entry rules from the Web.

Tourists seeking directions for traveling from Imphal to Mandalay in Myanmar visited a CIC in Manipur and got details on the route for traveling by bus to their destination on the Indo-Burma Road. The CIC operators downloaded the information from the Internet. CIC, Khowai, Tripura has organized special Training programmes for students from various local schools and colleges. This effort has been undertaken in many other CICs as well.

Earlier this year, the school Board results were disseminated over the Web and could be accessed by users at the CICs in the states of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland. In addition, the All India Entrance Examination results for various Engineering and Medical colleges were accessed at the CICs. State Bank recruitment results were also searched at several CICs.

The CICs constitute a unique opportunity for the North-Eastern region of India to avail of cutting-edge Information Technology to give a fillip to the development of the region.

The State Government started the implementation of the CIC Project in two pilot Blocks viz. Mylliem Development Block in the East Khasi Hills and Umsning Development Block in the Ri-Bhoi District. The CICs have now been established in all the Blocks of the State. Efforts are also being made to create the required content in the CICs, which would be interactive with the rural masses. E-governance applications would also be incorporated in the CIC Project for the benefit of the people in the rural areas.

Currently, the State Government is implementing the CIC Project through the Community & Rural Development Department and technically assisted by the National Informatics Centre, Meghalaya State Unit.

Some of the G2C services, which are proposed to be disseminated from the centers, are :

• Web site containing information about the block, educational facilities, health facilities, places of interest, etc
• An Education Portal listing the various opportunities in Education Institutions in North Eastern States & outside
• A Job Portal  containing various employment opportunities in the State & outside
• Prices of agricultural products and essential commodities on the Web
• Downloadable standard forms on the Web
• Web enabled appointment schedule for various medical facilities
• Telephone Directory
• Government tenders
• Newspaper headlines
• School Board Results
• Block projects information system

• Generating payslips, maintaining personnel information of Government employees at the block offices

• Public Information Facilitation Center
• Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring System
• Comprehensive Survey of Households
• Gramodaya database to be created
• Vehicle Registration System
• Rural Bazaar
• Web enabled electricity bill payment system
• Cause list for the courts.
• Arms License Issuance System

• Issue of Certificates to Handicapped persons, Rural Area certificates, Caste certificates, Birth & Death certificate, Character Verification certificate, Certificate of Residence, Succession Certificate for Legal Heirs

• Issue of Licenses to Cinema Halls, Video Parlours & Guest houses
• Financial Assistance Schemes of the State Government
• File Movement System for all the Branches of DC Office