The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has awarded Darrang as the best performing district in the field of digital online services through Common Service Centres or CSCs.
The Union Ministry awarded the district for achieving this remarkable feat among around 750 districts across the country.
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Additional Secretary of Electronics and Information Technology Pankaj Kumar in presence of Union IT Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSC, Dr Dinesh Kumar Tyagi; Director of MeitY, Pravin Chandekar; Joint Secretary, MeitY, Sanjay Goel and other senior officials from the Northeast offered a memento and a certificate of appreciation to Darrang Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Barman and Additional DC (IT) cum Project Director of DRDA, Darrang, Pankaj Chakravarty.
This award was given ceremonially in a function organized in connection with the launching of the North East Vision Document recently in Guwahati. Jhanjashree Sarkar Mallik, District Project Manager, Prime Minister Digital Literacy Programme, Darrang, informed Northeast Now about the award on Saturday.
Talking to this correspondent, Sarkar Mallik said that parallel to the launching function of the NE Vision Document a session on the expanding role and reach of CSCs was also organized where the performances and role of the CSCs and the District Society of the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLE) , Darrang was highly appreciated.
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“Among the total of 750 districts in the country, Darrang VLE Society was awarded as the best performing CSC VLE Society for their record performance in the field of fertilizer sale to the farmers,” said a overwhelmed Sarkar Mallik.
“We were surprised to receive such an honour and can’t find words how to express our delight,” maintained Sarkar Mallik, adding, “We were also addressed by Union IT and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad where he referred the CSC VLEs as digital army which are playing a great role in digital India programme and urged them to work with utmost dedication and integrity.”
Pankaj Chakravarty, Additional DC, Darrang, in-charge of IT, is the brain behind the concept of sale of quality fertilizer to the village farmers through CSC-VLEs at a subsidized rate.
When asked about his reaction after such a national honour, Chakravarty attributed this landmark achievement as the outcome of sincere team effort of CSC-VLEs of the district under the technical supervision of the District PM Digital Literacy Cell and overall patronage of Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kr Barman.
“Receiving the award in presence of Union IT Minister himself was really a very big moment for me as well as for the district but it came as a total surprise for all of us present there. There was no advance indication at all, we were kept in the dark,” said ADC Chakravarty.
“I had the privilege to express my reaction after receiving the award and I reiterated my commitment to provide the best digital services in the State and make my vision clear to make Darrang as one of the best digital service delivery districts in the country,” Chakravarty shared .
Informing about some future planning of the district, the ADC, in-charge of IT, Darrang further said, “The district administration is planning to take up sanitary napkin unit in each of the six development blocks of the district and provide employment to good number of unemployed local youths in association with CSCs and Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM).”
“The district is already working on a joint mission mode along with CSC VLE,s, ASRLM members and volunteers of ‘Internet Satthi’ programme to implement 100 per cent digital literacy in the district. The district administration has kept Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Sakaharata Abhiyan as the top priority among all the flagship programmes of the Government,” he concluded.
It is worth-mentioning that besides the award to District CSC-VLE Society of the district, Chairman of Mangaldai Municipal Board, Pratap Bordoloi, also received a special award from the MeitY for becoming the first civic body in the Northeast to implement the online digital services for the citizens of through CSCs .
The news has already made the members of the district VLE Society, the officials and staff of the PM Digital Literacy Campaign of the district and Mangaldai Municipal Board jubilant.