New Indian express reports that Orissa Govt has started The Orissa Modernising Government Initiative (OMGI) . This will be utilising IT in a more effective way. The Whole project is funded by DFID. Excerpts:

The Orissa Modernising Government Initiative (OMGI) seeks to address these and much more effectively. A State Government initiative, the project is being funded by DFID and would be completed by December 2008. It envisages rationalisation of the role of the State Government to focus on the most critical goods and services and reach out to the poor in a way that benefits them from its policies.

Besides, it aims to enhance the effectiveness, transparency and accountability with which the government performs its role.

The contours of the project was presented to Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy by OMGI officials here on Wednesday. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it exploits the benefits of IT to speed up delivery of public services and make them more transparent.

It also empowers the common men and gives them enough scope to ventilate their grievances to mandarins. Reengineering of the tools and procedures of the government departments would be one of its prime concerns.

Government officials can equally benefit from it. They would have access to service book, keep track of their career growth, leave sanction, transfer and posting. Each staff right down the ladder would be provided with a password.

Dissemination of government rule and procedure, citizen charter and performance data would be in vogue. Disclosure of information in a transparent manner to public on various procurements, allocations and awarding of tender would also be a reality.

Even candidates can review job posting, apply online and have access to employment news, views and service rules.

The reform measures would not be confined to the Secretariat alone. Revamping of the administration at the district-level would also be taken up. Human resource management would form a key component of the programme. Further, OMGI would intervene in other sectors like housing and urban development, health, education, industries and take up district modernisation and litigation management among others.