Monday, October 7, 2002 Feature

AFTER free laptops for legislators, Bihar will now give easy loans for buying computers to its government officers in what is seen here as an attempt to promote its IT friendliness.

The cash-starved Bihar government has allocated Rs.5 million in the current financial year to give loans to its officers for buying computers.

The government may increase the funds for the loans if a larger number of officers opt to buy computers. "It depends on the response of officers to the loan scheme," said a Bihar finance department official.

Ironically, Bihar’s free laptops and computer loans come at a time when hundreds of government employees in various departments and corporations have not been paid their wages for years.

Experts here feel that the government move is meant to promote Bihar as an IT friendly state and a key technology destination in eastern India with a Software Technology Park (STP) coming up here by November.

In July, Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi said her government would give laptops to all 243 members of the assembly to connect them to the world and help provide better service to the people.

"This is the first time the government has come up with an easy computer loan scheme for officers. The decision was taken to make them computer savvy before e-governance is implemented in the state," another official said.

It is estimated that about 100 officers would easily be provided computer loans. Each officer would get a Rs.80,000 loan at an annual interest of 12 per cent.

Sources said over 5,000 officers who draw a minimum monthly salary of Rs.10,500 or more are eligible for the loan.

While these lucky few get to tinker with technology, reports from across Bihar tell tales of hardship due to lack of money and deaths of government employees who have not been paid salaries for years.

Many here wonder what prompted the government to provide computer loans and free laptops when it has failed to pay regular salaries to its employees, including teachers, health workers and civic body workers—not to mention hundreds in nearly 50 corporations, some who have gone without pay for six to eight years.