Bangalore, Jan 24 (DHNS) : The Centre will extend funds to the tune of Rs 1,070 crore to Karnataka to set up a data centre, State portal, wide area networks and related projects, to deliver citizen-centric services, said Additional Secretary in the IT Department S R Rao. 

 At a regional summit on e-Governance and digitisation here, Rao said the Union government will spend about Rs 270 crore to build the data centre, state portal, wide area networks, capacity building and common service centres. This will be over and above the Rs 800 cr coming in through mission-mode projects in the State.

Willingness needed

He said the Centre’s e-governance department had surplus funds, and the States and local bodies had to show "willingness" to come out with e-governance projects focussed on financial and socio-economic inclusion, for funding.

Rao said his department and the industry proposed to build a common platform to enhance the speed of delivery of services to citizens. The government will organise a two-day seminar next month for SAARC nations in which India would showcase its progress and initiatives in e-governance area, he informed.

Top e-governance government officials from Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry attended the day-long seminar, sharing best practices in their states.