The Electronic Service Delivery Bill – which mandates all government organisations to deliver public services through electronic mode – will be sent for cabinet approval before the winter session of Parliament.
This was stated by the IT and communications minister, Kapil Sibal, at the Economic Editors Conference held in Delhi recently. The public services delivered through the electronic mode would include receipt of forms and applications, issue of any licenses, permits, certificates, or approvals and the receipt or payment of money, according to the draft bill.
The bill proposes a five-year timeframe for transitioning to the e-delivery mode. The cut-off date is extendable by up to another three years.
The minister also stressed on the need to encourage electronics manufacturing in the country. Sibal, earlier this month, had released a draft electronics policy that talked of incentives to create over 200 electronics clusters, and a ten year stable tax regime for electronics design and manufacturing.
“The electronics manufacturing sector needs to be given an impetus. If it does not happen, it will upset all our technology plans,” he said. India cannot afford to be in a situation where electronics imports exceed oil imports, he pointed out.