Bihar having realized the importance of information super highway for becoming a developed state is speedily acquiring Wi-Fi and Wi Max technologies. Bihar is also aggresively getting ready to go on the path of information superhighway through the implementation of National e-governance programme (NEGP). And it is strong willpower of Chief Minister which is implementing this ambitious project in reality. Central government is also not indifferent in this regard. It is providing Rs 256 crore fund for implementation of NEGP as well. For success of this project, the state government is also enthusiastic, thus rest of the funds are being provided by it, particularly for the completion of the task of horizontal network.
Bihar is a large state. For better governance such information super highway will prove to be a panacea. When implemented in Bihar successfully, unquestionably Bihar will make itself a technologically self-reliant state. This information highway has two apparatuses: (A) Government to Government and (B) Government to citizen. For the accomplishment of Government to Government conception, State wide area network (SWAN) has been developed and for the achievement of Government to citizen contemplation, common services centre (CSC) has been developed.
SWAN will work as the moral fiber of this information super highway. BSNL will hold up the entire organism through its leased connection. In fact without the help of BSNL, this structure will not work. Alliance of SWAN and BSNL will facilitate communication between the state headquarters and far flung block offices in real time. This will also allow having the facility of video conferencing. And as SWAN will work through leased lines, high speed data transfer too would be possible.
A data centre has also been set up at the Technology Bhawan, Patna, and it will work as an information hub and a information storehouse for the focal secretariat, new secretariat, Sinchai Bhawan, Visvesvaraya Bhawan, Soochna Bhawan and the CM’s residential office through the secretariat local area network (SecLAN), with the intention that pertinent information is accessible at all significant points and to ensure their connectivity with lowest level of government offices online.
However, the information super highway is still in the experimentation stage and 10 district of the state are expected to be connected through it. Nalanda, Begusarai, Muzaffarpur and West Champaran are among the 10 districts which would be connected with this information highway.
