Dear Readers,
Field visits are invaluable as they provide an authentic understanding of a project’s impact on people, promoting better decision-making. I personally value these visits because they offer the opportunity to connect with stakeholders on a personal level, building trust and ensuring our actions align with their interests and aspirations.
Last week, I, along with my colleagues Chandar, Aveek, and Prashanth, embarked on a day trip to the beautiful city of Bhubaneshwar (BBSR). We aimed to meet with key stakeholders and get first-hand insights. I’m sharing below some notes from the visit. Hope you enjoy reading it.
The Journey to Jatni and My Initial Apprehensions
Our first stop was Jatni, a town 45 minutes from BBSR, where we intended to witness developments on the ground. I confess to feeling a bit nervous at the beginning of field visits. Many questions loomed: What if the adoption rate is low? What if the people are dissatisfied with our platform? And worse – what if the people on the ground don’t care?
We pulled into an impressive municipal office and were warmly welcomed by Anuradha Pradhan, a young and dynamic engineer. As we sipped on some delightful coffee, I inquired about the impact of the SUJOG Building Plan Approval module on her work. She enthusiastically responded, “It is Too Much of Help”. In just a few minutes, Anuradha provided a sales pitch that exceeded anything we had heard from eGov representatives before.
Previously, they manually evaluated all drawings and used Excel for calculations, but now, it was as simple as loading the drawing to obtain results within seconds. Record-keeping became a breeze, eliminating the need for numerous files and multiple versions of drawings. A junior member also demonstrated the OBPAS module.
Transforming Property Tax Collection: The Exponential Impact
After speaking with Anuradha, we headed upstairs to the property tax team. Supervisor Pravat Ranjan welcomed us, and the room quickly filled with revenue collectors. Taruni Sen, one of them, demonstrated tax collection on the PoS machine. The entire process, from property search to receipt generation, took less than a minute. Their eagerness to showcase their expertise and highlight the ease of using the SUJOG platform was evident. Their enthusiasm and pride deeply touched me.
We often discuss the importance of dignity in work for frontline employees, and here we witnessed a team that had previously been encumbered by registers and forms, now flourishing with improved efficiency – thanks to SUJOG. Moments like this make all the challenges of working with government bodies, developing products, and striving for widespread adoption worthwhile.
I then asked my favourite question to the supervisor: How has SUJOG impacted daily collection figures? The answer was astonishing – earlier revenue collectors used to collect INR 15,000 to INR 20,000 per day, but now they were achieving INR 70,000 to 80,000k, a remarkable fourfold increase. Talk about exponential impact!
“Now, I Will Train the Rest of Odisha”
Our journey continued to a site in ward 8 of Jatni, where we met Chandrakanti and her team, a women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) participating in the MUKTA program. This program had received the UNDP award, and currently, Chandrakanti’s SHG was engaged in footpath construction and a graywater treatment project in Ward 8.
Chandrakanti was quick to engage, unafraid to express her thoughts, and even occasionally delved into English conversation to share her perspective. She was a true community leader. After a brief introduction, she invited me to see the app on her mobile phone. For the next two minutes, she demonstrated how she managed attendance, prepared mustrolls, and sought project approvals. It felt as though Chandrakanti was giving us a live demo.
Once again, we could sense the pride and empowerment she felt. With a wink, she humorously mentioned that some government representatives had come to train them on the app, but she proudly claimed, “Unko to maine sikha ke bheja” (I actually trained them).
Jatni was a pilot ULB for MUKTASoft, and in November, the platform would be rolled out across the entire state.
Chandrakanti declared, “Main Ab baaki Odisha ko training doongi” – she was ready to train the rest of Odisha. What a remarkable woman!
A Visit to the Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant and an unexpected Puppy Rescue act
Our next destination was a Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) located on the outskirts of Jatni. The first thing that struck me was the cleanliness of the 2-acre plant and the absence of any unpleasant odours. It felt more like a resort, complete with a lovely garden and a children’s play area. This plant was managed by the Maa Uttarayani Nahila SHG. Two quietly spoken but formidable women, Dolly (in the centre of the photo) – the SHG president – and Priyanka (on the left) – the lab technician – guided us through the plant’s operations, from the deposit of sludge by trucks to the production of fertiliser.
As we were about to leave, there was a flutter – a bunch of puppies had fallen into small tank. Quickly Anuradha and Dolly engineered a solution ( a bucket with a rope) and got the puppies out in no time. Formidable women of Jatni – I salute you.
“From Little Seeds, Grow Mighty Trees”
In the afternoon, we met with Mr Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary, Government of Odisha. Prashanth and Aveek had prepared a presentation for the meeting with him, and we huddled together over coffee to plan our approach. Since Mathi had travelled back from Delhi in the morning and had been in meetings all day, with ours scheduled for 6 pm, we opted to narrate the story of the partnership.
We started our journey four years ago by deploying DIGIT for urban services, and we marveled at the progress we’ve made in that time. During our meeting with Mathi, we presented just one slide, which we call the “Odisha Tree of Adoption.”
“True Partners. Amazing Results”
Throughout the day, I couldn’t help but notice the strong camaraderie between our Odisha team and individuals at various levels within the Odisha Government. It was more than just a stakeholder relationship; it felt like we were one cohesive team. I observed warmth, a sense of togetherness, and a shared commitment to making things happen on the ground. What’s even more impressive is that this spirit extended beyond senior officials – the Odisha team had genuine connections at all levels. You are an awesome team, Odisha!
“The best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Have Fun. Make a Difference.
Viraj Tyagi,
CEO, eGov Foundation
