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Do smaller states imply better administration and consequently better governance? If so, it would hold true for e-gov too, since after all e-Governance is just a catalyst to improve the quality of government. This perennial debate is further fueled by the results of the Dataquest-IDC e-Governance survey. While a tiny state like Goa emerged at the top of the heap, at the other end of the spectrum, we have UP, the largest state in the country, landing with the wooden spoon. Maybe herein lies an answer for the bureaucrats and other decision makers of the country.

As is the case with most states surveyed, business organizations in UP too are more satisfied with e-Governance than citizens. The state's e-readiness is poor as compared to user satisfaction. In fact, poor e-readiness is what has pulled Uttar Pradesh down to the bottom position, despite it being above other states in user satisfaction.

In the overall satisfaction analysis for e-Governance, citizens consider judiciary, state transport and power utility as strength areas, while e-Governance in transport/RTO, employment exchange and land/property department are the top pain areas for citizens.

Business organizations have assessed the top strength areas in e-Governance to be financial assistance, water utility and supplies and provisions. IT initiatives in transport/RTO, government tenders and contracts and licenses and permits are pain areas for businesses.

In all services for citizens, the e-Governance services of the judiciary fare best on the satisfaction scale for ease of interaction, quality and availability, along with state transport services. IT initiatives in water and power utility also satisfy citizens. However, IT initiatives by the transport/RTO department offer the least satisfaction to citizens, along with employment exchange.

Businesses are most satisfied by ease of interaction, quality and availability of IT initiatives in the income tax department, financial assistance and sales tax/service tax/commercial tax. Business organized are least satisfied by e-Governance in the areas of transport/RTO.

Increase in availability of service through service center is the main benefit of e-Governance for citizens and businesses. Citizens are also benefited by easier monitoring and tracking of applications, whereas business organizations are benefited by improvements in overall staff behavior.

So is there any scope for redemption of UP? It must come from the state's intent to use IT as a vehicle for economic development and to create a hi-tech society with a high quality of life in Uttar Pradesh. An IT and Electronics Policy is in place aimed at taking UP to the thresholds of a new knowledge economy and providing impetus to the domestic industry.

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