All unions to be under internet network by 2012
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
All Union Parishads (UPs), the country's lowest tire of administration, will be brought under online networking system and connected to information super highway by the year 2012 as the Local Government Division will set up Union Information Service (UIS) centres at all unions.
Local Government Division (LGD) Secretary Monzur Hossain Monday told BSS that the government has decided to set up UIS at all 4,498 unions with computers and internet connections for realising the vision of building digital Bangladesh.
Under the project, 100 UIS will be set by end of this year, 2,000 by 2010, 3,000 by 2011 and rest of within 2012, the LGD secretary said.
The site selections for first 100 centres have already been completed and 31 centres have started the activities under the project on trial basis, he said.
The project formally to be launched in the next month will be a landmark in efforts to digitise the country's governance system from the grassroots to highest levels, the secretary said.
The LGD would appoint two computer service providers, one male and one woman from local youth for the centre, which will also serve the government's commitment of creating employment.
Before appointing, the computer service operators will be provided information technology (IT) training as they could easily browse the internet as per the requirement of the rural people.
Farmers and rural entrepreneurs can collect various information of farming and prices of essentials through this UIS with minimal service charge.
The UIS is expected to change the scenario of rural Bangladesh as it will definitely create momentum in the rural economy through ensuring both way flow of information at grassroots level, Monzur said.
National Institute of Local Government (NILG) Director Prasanta Kumar Roy said, the UIS would be built by the own fund of the UPs, allocated from the Local Government Support (LGS) Project.
Meanwhile, bdnews24.com adds: Parliament saw the Local Government (Union Parishad) Bill 2009 tabled Monday that proposes handing the central government much control over the lowest tier of local government.
The House also passed the Local Government (Pourashova) Act 2009, which empowers local MPs to be advisers to the pourashova or municipalities, but MPs' suggestions will not be mandatory for the local government bodies to follow.
Local Government Division (LGD) Secretary Monzur Hossain Monday told BSS that the government has decided to set up UIS at all 4,498 unions with computers and internet connections for realising the vision of building digital Bangladesh.
Under the project, 100 UIS will be set by end of this year, 2,000 by 2010, 3,000 by 2011 and rest of within 2012, the LGD secretary said.
The site selections for first 100 centres have already been completed and 31 centres have started the activities under the project on trial basis, he said.
The project formally to be launched in the next month will be a landmark in efforts to digitise the country's governance system from the grassroots to highest levels, the secretary said.
The LGD would appoint two computer service providers, one male and one woman from local youth for the centre, which will also serve the government's commitment of creating employment.
Before appointing, the computer service operators will be provided information technology (IT) training as they could easily browse the internet as per the requirement of the rural people.
Farmers and rural entrepreneurs can collect various information of farming and prices of essentials through this UIS with minimal service charge.
The UIS is expected to change the scenario of rural Bangladesh as it will definitely create momentum in the rural economy through ensuring both way flow of information at grassroots level, Monzur said.
National Institute of Local Government (NILG) Director Prasanta Kumar Roy said, the UIS would be built by the own fund of the UPs, allocated from the Local Government Support (LGS) Project.
Meanwhile, bdnews24.com adds: Parliament saw the Local Government (Union Parishad) Bill 2009 tabled Monday that proposes handing the central government much control over the lowest tier of local government.
The House also passed the Local Government (Pourashova) Act 2009, which empowers local MPs to be advisers to the pourashova or municipalities, but MPs' suggestions will not be mandatory for the local government bodies to follow.