The Union Digital Centres (UDC) grasp been launched at union parishads all over the nation with the mentioned targets of providing 60 forms of digital services and products ranging from birth certification to land registration, from visa application to language and computer expertise coaching for the agricultural other folks.
But all over the last extra than one decade these digital centres grasp diminished to offices providing most efficient birth and loss of life certificates as a consequence of unlucky planning, outdated tools, and unhealthy monitoring systems.
On 11 November 2010, the then Awami League authorities launched the centres, recruiting two people – one male and one female – at every centre as entrepreneurs.
The entrepreneurs voice they’ve been working for 14 years with out everlasting employment. They heed now not fetch any wage or allowances from authorities funds but are as an different paid in accordance to contracts tied to the earnings generated by the digital centres.
Along with, with smartphone and computer services and products now on hand on the actual person stage, even in villages, the assortment of oldsters visiting the centres has naturally declined, they recount.
Native authorities educated Professor Mohammad Tariqul Islam from the Department of Government and Politics at Jahangirnagar University recommended TBS, “The Union Digital Centres operated successfully of their early stages, with the main objective of introducing digital services and products to marginalised populations by 2021.”
He additionally mentioned, “The upgrade in expertise has diminished the utility of the 14-year-old devices. Additionally, the monitoring direction of for the UDCs is severely wrong and insufficient. Without authorities salaries or allowances for entrepreneurs, the effectiveness of the centres has waned.”
In Maria union of Rajshahi’s Bagmara upazila, the UDC operates with three desktop computer systems and two laptops provided by the authorities.
Abdul Malek, considered one of the most entrepreneurs, mentioned, “We grasp now been given a room by the union parishad and don’t desire to pay the electricity bill, but we’re guilty for all upkeep, in conjunction with computer servicing.”
“A price of Tk20 to Tk50 is charged for every application fetch, and our profits is dependent fully on what we produce right here. Additionally, we fetch no allowances from the authorities,” he added.
He mentioned that fewer other folks talk over with the digital provider centres now when compared to earlier years.
“Within the starting set apart, there modified into once pretty heaps of labor rigidity, but now the workload has dropped by half of. The on-line processes for birth registration and nationwide ID playing cards are largely accomplished, with most efficient newborns desiring to be registered,” he mentioned.
“With extra other folks managing services and products on their comprise, fewer advance to the union centres for assistance,” added Abdul Malek.
As well to birth and loss of life registrations, the UDCs are designated to fetch services and products reminiscent of filling out land deed forms, lifestyles insurance protection, rural electricity bill funds, authorities fetch submissions, public examination results, on-line university admissions, VGF-VGD lists, citizen certificates, and agricultural recordsdata.
Non-public services and products encompass cell banking, computer coaching, images, job recordsdata, visa application and tracking, to boot to printing, scanning, photocopying, and laminating.
Rezaul Haque, chairman of Maria Union Parishad, mentioned, “Whereas other Union Digital Centres charge expenses ranging from Tk100 to Tk150 for services and products, we provide services and products right here in accordance to the authorities-fastened charges.”
Ariful Islam, an entrepreneur at Mandari Union Digital Centre in Laxmipur Sadar upazila, mentioned, “The main process for most electorate who talk over with the union digital centres is to register births or deaths. About 80% of our work entails birth and loss of life registrations.”
Bipra Das Kundu, who has been providing services and products since 2011 on the UDC in No-8 Sharafpur Union of Dumuria upazila, Khulna, mentioned, “Obvious services and products grasp authorities-space expenses, which hump to the authorities as income. We charge pretty extra, and I address that quantity since I fabricate now not fetch a wage from the authorities.”
“To illustrate, the authorities price for birth registration is Tk50, but we charge Tk70, and I address the extra Tk20. We additionally charge Tk30 for writing an appraisal letter,” he added.
Some entrepreneurs memoir that the institution of non-public computer services and products and photocopy retail outlets in lots of unions has drawn away potentialities who beforehand utilised the services and products at UDCs.
Salim Sardar, an entrepreneur on the UDC in Shailgachi union of Naogaon Sadar upazila, mentioned, “Our profits has diminished considerably as a consequence of the opening of photocopy retail outlets in entrance of the union parishad. It has modified into hard to spice up my household with the profits I produce now.”
The National Pension Authority has been unable to fully implement its opinion to bring the Celebrated Pension Scheme to other folks’s doorsteps thru the Union Digital Centres as a consequence of their inactivity in lots of unions.
National Pension Authority member Md Golam Mostafa mentioned, “Out of 5,591 UDCs, most efficient 823 centres are for the time being registering for pension schemes, with a crammed with 32,808 people registered up to now. If the total centres grasp been operational, it could maybe well grasp been exceptional more straightforward to ship the advantages of the pension procedure to the other folks.”
Carrier recipients memoir being confused whereas the exhaust of services and products at varied digital provider centres.
Najma Akhtar from Nangalkot, Cumilla, mentioned her elder son will hump to China for elevated training. Even despite the proven truth that the total documents grasp been correct, her name modified into once registered with “Begum” in space of “Akhtar” on her son’s birth certificate.
To solve the disclose, she visited the local Union Digital Centre and paid Tk500 to correct the mistake.
However, she later stumbled on errors on the newly corrected birth certificate. When she returned to the Union Parishad, she modified into once educated to contact the deputy commissioner’s space of enterprise.
“Later, I realized that the mistake modified into once made intentionally for money,” she mentioned.
Officers from the Native Government Division recount there isn’t this kind of thing as a updated recordsdata on how many UDCs are operational or the fluctuate of services and products they are providing.
Quiz for everlasting jobs
On 21 September, the Jhenaidah department of the Union Digital Heart Director Welfare Affiliation held a press conference to demand everlasting employment for its people.
Mujibul Haque, central vp of the organisation, mentioned, “Even despite the proven truth that the entrepreneurs employed on the digital centres grasp been working continually for 14 years, their jobs haven’t been made everlasting.”
He additionally mentioned, “Entrepreneurs appointed in the Union Digital Centres are being pushed apart at will. The Native Government Division created a recent affirm for Accounts Assistant cum Computer Operator thru a gazette in 2016, which has resulted in interference with the work of the entrepreneurs on the Union Digital Centres, inflicting harassment for the directors.”
