Inadequate basic infra hits functioning of village offices

T'puram: The state govt may be aggressively advocating e-governance, yet basic infrastructure at village offices, a primary point of contact for citizens seeking various services, remains inadequate. Numerous village offices, particularly in rural regions, contend with unreliable internet connectivity, antiquated computers, and substandard printers or scanners. This impedes work at the paperless offices and the digital uploading of certificates.
Village office staff face challenges uploading verified certificates for applicants. When individuals submit online certificate requests, staff examine records, issue documents, and subsequently upload them digitally for applicant access. This procedure frequently encounters delays in rural areas due to substandard computing equipment or poor internet connectivity.
Internet connectivity remains a major bottleneck. Many offices rely on connections that struggle to handle modern web applications. During peak hours, when multiple staff members simultaneously access the system, the network becomes extremely sluggish, said an official. This creates a backlog of pending certificates and frustrates both officials and applicants.
Hari Kumar R, a resident in Kollam, said, "More than 70% of the work is done online and also in Akshaya centres. So it is easy for the people to apply. But in many places they suffer slow or server down issues. The time stipulated to issue each certificate should be reduced."
The govt's well-designed e-governance initiative aims to eliminate the necessity for physical visits to govt offices for services. Each village office has a website detailing services and staff information.
There are 1,664 village offices providing approximately 18 certificates, including life certificates, location certificates, non-creamy layer certificates, nativity certificates, and others. The offices require modern computers, high-speed internet connectivity, and efficient printing equipment to match the digital transformation goals. Regular maintenance and technical support remain inadequate.
Antiquated staff allocation compounds these technical challenges. A typical village office has a village officer and five to six staff but handles several applications weekly, alongside field visits and land surveys.
"The staff allocation is inadequate to meet the online service delivery deadline. When the staff have to juggle field visits and office work using e-office, the hardware needs to be the best. Many times the staff come under pressure from the vigilance dept, who monitor deadlines without realising that it's almost impossible to meet them with the shoddy equipment," said a source.