[Assessment Date: 7-9^th, May, 2008]

Why is e-Setu considered a good governance practice?

E-Setu is designed to address key governance challenges. Pre- e-Setu, people had to travel miles from remote areas to get their grievances addressed and services delivered. No less than several rounds that the citizens had to make around the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC’s) office. Citizens had to face harassment at the hands of corrupt officials. Overcrowded branch offices resulted in total chaos and lack of syncronisation of roles and responsibilities. Many employees thrived on corruption. Work culture was uninspiring. There was no definite time to get one work done.

For the people who were forced to frequent the DC office, it meant a loss of day’s income, cost of transportation, uncertainty shrouded regarding the availability of the concerned official/information on the particular day of the visit. Files gathered dust and people had almost lost faith in the district administration. Thus, prior E-Setu, the district administration functioning was a relaxed affair and the system was open to bribery, red tape and irresponsibility.  The culture was no less bureaucratic.

Post-implementation, e-Setu has become the electronic bridge between the people and the government especially for people in distant places.  “Setu” in the local language means bridge. E-Setu has been considered as a unique example of Government-to-Citizen (G2C) services initiated in Jorhat district of Assam with many interior locations, where people uses modes of transport like bicycle, boats and buses to reach the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Jorhat. E-setu by providing a “Single–point Delivery of Services” has facilitated delivery of various Government services to the citizens in their nearby vicinity of their villages thus saving citizens from running around various departments, saving time and costs. Thus the project is a demonstration of a need based responsive and transparent administration to the people attempting greater efficiency and accountability in providing services and information to the local citizens. It’s a people’s Project where even the Project name ‘e-setu’ has also been coined by the citizens of the district in an open contest held in the District.

Location of e-Setu

The e-Setu practice is located in Jorhat district of Upper Assam. Jorhat is located between the Brahmaputra on the north and Nagaland on the south at 26 degree 46 minute’s north latitude and 96 degree 16 minute’s longitude in the central part of Brahmaputra Valley.

Jorhat today is a thriving cosmopolitan town with broad roads, heterogeneous population.  

The present Jorhat District consists of three (3) Sub-divisions namely Jorhat, Majuli and Titabor. The district is devided into 6 revenue circles and 8 development blocks. The area of the district is 2852 Sq. Km. and population is 1,009,197 (as per 2001 census). The population comprises predominantly Hindus and Muslims. Jorhat has the distinction of first fully literate district in Assam.

MAJULI on the river Brahmaputra in the north of Jorhat District forms the largest riverine island of the world. Spread over 924.6 sq. Km. with a population of about 1.50 lakh MAJULI today is being threatened by the constant erosion by the erratic river Majuli, the island being the principal place of pilgrimage of Vaishnavites since the ages of the Ahom  rules. Project e-Setu is an ample demonstration of how the island population is being connected to the District Administration through the e-Setu platforms.

Source: Jorhat admininistration

Jorhat district has a sound cultural and educational environment. The district has many tea plantations and rice is the predominant crop which means the district is an agro based region.

Number of literates in Jorhat District by sex and literacy rates in 1991 and 2001

 Sex ratio and population density in 1991 and 2001

  Population by sex and decadal growth of population (during 1981- 1991 and 1991-2001)

Source: Jorhat Administration

Economy

Jorhat is still an agro based economy with tea, jute, and forest produce taking the lead. Oil is also produced. There are a number of small scale and cottage industries in the field of cane work and bamboo work, silver jewelry , furniture making , brass smithy , umbrella making, soap manufacturing, etc . Tea constitutes one big industrial component.

How would one reach the location?

e-Setu is located in Jorhat District in Upper Assam. Jorhat is 5 hours journey in bus / train from Guwahati. It is 1 hour journey on flight from Guwahati to Jorhat airport. E-Setu kendras are located in all 3 sub-divisions of the district- Jorhat, Titabor and Majuli. Titabor and Majuli subdivisions are connected on bus and private transports from Jorhat town. Sivasagar town is nearest biggest town. Jorhat is connected with telephone, mobile connections. Cyber cafes are avaialbe in town areas. Bank and post offices are available with ATM facilities including that of SBI and ICICI.

Evaluating e-Setu

PROBLEM ADDRESSED BY THE PRACTICE

The e-Setu practice is a sincere attempt to bridge the citizen’s access to Information and government services. It attempts to provide public services delivery at the doorsteps of common man with mixed success. Instead of the citizens had to travel to offices at the district headquarters from remote far away villages everyday to receive various services like receiving certificates /copies of public records, etc , the practice has helped to avail these in the vicinity of their villages through the e-Setu platforms. With this the loss for the citizens in the form of loss of day's income, cost of transportation, uncertainty regarding availability of the relevant official / information is drastically reduced. Citizen services and grievances or requirements are fulfilled within a maximum period of 10 days and at minimal user charges. E-Setu is thus a bridge to address delay, time consuming and costly public service delivery using technology or online platform.

PARTICIPATION OF LOCAL PEOPLE

E-Setu involves participation of gram panchayats, block offices as stakeholders in the e-Setu Society that manages the project. Around one million people (approx) in Jorhat district are availing the services offered by Project E-Setu. For convenience of the common man e-Setu kiosk are made available in all the 3 sub divisions – Jorhat, Titabor and Majuli. The kiosk at Majuli (now the kiosk is in SDO (civil) office) is a live demonstration of how such governance mechanism can be made available to connect people who are out of touch with mainland divided by the mighty Brahmaputra River. The number of transactions also speaks of volume of participation of local people. The participation of user community is higher in government run kiosks than in private kiosks in recent years due to policy and administrative practices and rules made or modified vis-à-vis delivery of public services. Since services like PRCs or income services still involves the SP office in DC Jorhat or local Circle offices, so it becomes handy for the users to approach the government kiosks set up in these places directly than come via the private kiosk operators.

Source: e-Setu project Cell office, Jorhat District Administration office, Assam

ACCOUNTABILITY OF SERVICE PROVIDERS TO THE BENEFICIARIES OF THE SERVICE, SUCH AS USE OF CITIZENS CHARTERS, GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL SYSTEMS, RESPONSE TIMINGS, MENTION ANY LEGAL RECOURSE USED BY BENEFICIARIES.

Several inbuilt mechanisms are in place to ensure accountability of service providers. One is the official order / circular for all the kiosks and officials that various services have to be provided as per stated time deadlines set to be delivered. For instance, a PRC certificate must be delivered between 3-10 days as per Tatkal or general requirement. Further, the rates for various services are also set. Further there is a citizen’s charter that the Jorhat district administration has come out with as a reminder to officials about their prime roles and duties vis-à-vis the citizens. Mandatory provisions that only applications with printed receipts attached will be entertained by officials have facilitated in maintaining accountability of service providers. As of now due to the above mechanisms, there is little scope for citizen grievances or citizens taking legal course.

SPEED & EASE OF SERVICE DELIVERY

Currently there are 5 e-Setu kendras to serve public service delivery needs of citizens- 3 public kiosks at Jorhat, Majuli and Titabor sub divisional (civil) offices and 2 private kiosks (run on public-private partnership mode) at Teok and Mariani circle offices vicinity. These kiosks are serving on daily basis various services needs like PRCs, birth and death certificates, land holding certificates and so on. As of now there is no provision for public grievance mechanisms through the e-Setu programme.

so far e-Setu is providing cost-effective and financially self-reliant services especially in government run kiosk through expanding and beneficiary role of Information Technology at the doorsteps of common man. The practice is about government-citizen partnership, devolution and decentralisation of public offices to citizens and thus improving governance. The project is a ‘typical the ruled and the e-Setu practice is seen as a ‘catalyst’ for the change

process in governance and enhanced public services delivery. The project currently provides more than a dozen services through the Kiosk centres.