HimVani
Shimla: Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today inaugurated SMS Gateway services in Himachal Pradesh for sending messages to citizens and government offices, thus meeting yet another milestone in e-governance.
Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that information technologies have been playing a major role in providing services to the citizens in an efficient and transparent manner, and therefore the state government adopted e-Governance well in time in its functions to provide better quality of services to the people of the state.
The SMS Gateway has been established to utilize mobile phone technology to provide services to citizens in the state. The facility will enable government departments to send SMSes to citizens either individually or in bulk thereby creating a medium for effective interaction between government and citizens, so that exchange of information and access to services is speedy and easy. This facility may also be utilized by the departments for sending notices of meeting and other information to government officers/officials.
The SMS Gateway is currently being utilised by:
SUGAM: Shimla, Solan & Hamirpur for licenses, vehicle registrations, certificates etc.
DC Solan & Hamirpur for meeting notices
Information & Public Relations department for sending SMSs to media
HASTPA – Tourism (for sending biking event updates)
Besides, additional services are also being identified in consultation with the departments. Already identified services for government internal processes include:
Meeting notices to the officers/officials
Training schedules
SMS alerts for getting immediate response on urgent matters like Vidhan Sabha, court, etc.
Disaster, traffic blockade, government schemes, weather, events, etc.
SMS alerts to officers regarding last date of filing of appeal, presence in the court, filing of replies, etc.
surely a welcome step.things like this would surely help bringing transparency in the system
Great Idea! Otherwise, all people keep roaming government offices for settling never ending objections/delays. I hope, it will be extended to all public offices. Congratulations to all people behind the scene. Himachal Pradesh Government has been doing slightly better than the rest of North Indian states in the ITC related applications.
All these steps may help in curtailing delay tactics of bureaucracy in the state. But this is not going to help much; unless time bound accountability is not fixed at each level of officialdom. Anyone may imagine the fate of a common man hanging in ordinary files, when certain bureaucrats even do not bother to implement the decisions of government and easily befool by justifying delays on one pretext or the other.
Taming the imperial outlook of some “highly complexed creatures”, is direly needed in the state. It is the only area where current regime is lacking and steps like these are like putting drops in ocean. Government in any democratic set up enjoys the highest privilege; otherwise, it will have to face the wrath of people for non performance.
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