Bengal: TCS bags Rs 103-crore govt job scheme

Tata Consultancy Services on Friday signed an agreement for Rs 103 crore (Rs 1.03 billion) end-to-end ICT solution for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in West Bengal.

"The TCS MGNREGS solution has been successfully implemented in 1,098 mandals of 22 districts in Andhra Pradesh and we will replicate the same here in Bengal," TCS government business unit head Tanmoy Chakrabarty said.

"This IT initiative will be a harbinger for major eGovernance transformation in West Bengal," he said.

The pilot project would begin from South 24 Parganas district and be gradually extended to all other 18 districts of the state, Panchayat and Rural development

minister Subrata Mukherjee said.

He said the 100 days employment programme would get a boost in the state with modernisation and transparency.

"In the period April-August of 2012, Rs 1630 crore (Rs 16.3 billion) was spent which is more than 100 per cent more than the corresponding period of the previous year which saw achievement of just 33 days," he said.

TCS would provide a 5-year support to the system after implementation.

TCS said it would offer extensive experience in e-governance and a framework for MGNREGS.

"The TCS MGNREGS solution framework enables backward and forward integration of the entire process, including enrolment, biometric-based authentication, secure wage disbursement as well as worksite attendance management and on-line facilities," Chakrabarty said.