Online citizen service BISWAS launched for water, sewer connections in Haryana

Initiatives undertaken in the 15 months of the Manohar Lal Khattar government in the state for greater utilisation of Information Technology for good governance have yielded positive results and earned Haryana many national awards, Finance Minister Capt Abhimanyu has said. Addressing the officers after launching the online citizen service – ‘BISWAS’ of the Public Health Engineering department, Abhimanyu stated that the steps initiated by the ruling BJP have deepened the confidence of the people in the government.

Launched on the occasion of ‘Good Governance Day’, the ‘BISWAS’ scheme allows online application for new water and sewer connections and online payment of water and sewer bills, in Chandigarh. Saying it is important to reduce inter-departmental intervals for good governance, he opined that administrative secretaries have the maximum responsibility in this regard. He said that a good team of senior officers is working hard to realise the vision of the government.

Lauding the efforts being made by the Chief Secretary, DS Dhesi, and officers of National Informatics Centre, Haryana, HARTRON and Information Technology Department, Abhimanyu said that as a result of their work, Haryana is moving towards achieving a transformation of the system. He appealed to the officers to continue working with the same devotion and dedication and make Haryana the best state under the ‘Digital India’ programme.

Abhimanyu said the programme was organised in keeping with the announcement by the Centre last year that the day, which marks the birth anniversaries of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya, is to be celebrated as ‘Good Governance Day’. Abhimanyu said that the Billing Information System for Water and Sewer (BISWAS) scheme is a significant one under which all prescribed fees, starting with that while applying for drinking water and sewer connections, would be payable online.

People residing in urban areas would greatly benefit from this scheme as they would not have to visit the department over and over again, he said. The minister further claimed that after the present BJP government was formed, administrative officers were for the first time provided with an environment in which they could utilise their capabilities and experience to successfully implement schemes in the public interest.

Replying to a question pertaining to industrial plot allotments, Abhimanyu said it is necessary that action is taken against any violators in an unbiased and fair manner. It is the duty of the government to ensure that all allegations of irregularity which come before it are investigated, he added. On another question regarding the ‘odd-even’ formula planned by Delhi government to curb pollution in the national capital, Abhimanyu said there is a need to frame a comprehensive policy for cleaning the air in the city.

He added that he had also given some suggestions in this regard during a meeting of the environment ministers of various states. The minister slammed media reports pertaining to a hike in the fuel surcharge adjustment (FSA) component in electricity bills and alleged that the Opposition was deliberately misleading the people of the state for its own benefit. He added that the present dispensation has not taken any such decision and only the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) can take any call on issues pertaining to electricity tariff.

Managing Director, Information Technology and HARTRON, Vijayendra Kumar, said on the occasion that under the Digital Literacy Programme, HARTRON has fixed a target to make over 52.50 lakh people digital literate in the next three years. So far, over 1.32 lakh people have registered under this programme and 4,400 Anganwadi workers, 4,134 ASHA workers and 476 Depot Holders have also registered for digital literacy.

HARTRON had written to the Centre requesting that test of Digital Literacy be organised through Haryana Knowledge Corporation, he said, adding that the same has been approved. He said that Razipur and Mandana villages of Panchkula district have been adopted by HARTRON for digital literacy. He said that under Digital India programme, Panchkula, Jind and Sirsa districts of Haryana have been chosen for first, second and third prizes.

The prizes would be distributed by Union Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad, in a programme in New Delhi on December 28, he said. He added that Haryana is a leading state in the country for the implementation of biometric attendance of employees. Over one lakh employees are marking their attendance through biometric system, he said.