Digital Goa Issue 91 December 2013 Dec 2013 | Page 3

1 to 31st December 2013

www.digitalgoa.com

The First Murder of E-Governance in Goa
How Mahiti Ghars went into extinction
By Sangeeta Jadhav

I

n the year 2000, M.D. of
Ethinx Infocom Pvt. Ltd. came
to the then Chief Minister with
an interesting proposal. Instead of
people wasting time traveling to
government offices to get forms; to
get certificates; to submit applications; to get all sorts of information
– he suggested that “Mahiti Ghars”
should be opened at different
places all over Goa, where information could be obtained from the
government digitally.
This was to be achieved by
using computers networked with
Govt. offices using the internet. In
order to achieve this, Govt. had to
first computerize their offices and
records. Information from them
could then be obtained online. It
had to provide Ethinx with kiosks
for the Mahiti Ghars (literally Information Houses) in prominent
public spaces such as bus stands,
and would put up the hardware
required such as the computers,
and pay for the staff to run the
Mahiti Ghars. Ethinx would supply expertise and software and run
the project.
The project was one that promised people that they could demand
and get all sorts of information at
the click of a computer mouse. No
more would people have to take
leave from work, travel all the way
to Panjim or Margao, and stand in

Information is the Golden Goose which they (Government Officials) have to hold the public under their
sway. Why would they want to sacrifice it on the altar
of Technology?

Sangeeta Jadhav is Associate Professor in Information
Technology at Dempo College,
Panaji

long queues only to be told to come
some other day. No more would
they have to be pushed around by
Govt. officials and no more having
to pay speed money.
At the start the company had to
face a lot of problems getting their
ideas through as at that time there
was no Dept. of Information Technology. Although a lot of questions
were asked about the propriety of
the deal, the Mahiti Ghar project
came into being in October 2001.
The services initially provided
were the issuing of land records
(Form 1 & 14) and Survey plans;

and issuing of RTO Learning Licenses. Five more services were
promised soon: - acceptance of
public grievances; issue of birth
and death certificates; city survey
records (Form D); insurance & registration; and receipt of electricity
and water bill payments.
Along with this the Mahiti Ghars
were supposed to provide the following services: computer courses
for Rs. 99/=; computer typing;
making of affidavits; making sale
deeds and lease agreements; and
filing applications for Collectorate work.

However from this point on
problems started. The project which
was supposed to fan out to remote
villages could only start up in 13
places, all in the more urban areas.
The Govt. was slow if not hostile
to computerizing their departments
and the Wide Area Network which
they were supposed to create, that
was required to connect the Mahiti
Ghars with the Govt. depts. never
really got off the ground. Govt. officials were never really motivated
to implement this project whole
heartedly. And why would they?
Information is the Golden Goose
wh