PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s paperless e-governance project, launched in May 2023 to digitise government processes and enhance efficiency, has encountered a setback because of faulty software.
Developed by a local company at a cost of Rs500 million, the software, along with Rs114 million in consulting fees, proved unusable after its launch.
Despite training government employees and officials to use the software, the training was ineffective, and the launched software revealed numerous bugs and glitches. Originally planned to encompass 171 modules, only seven were developed, and none were implemented in any government department.
The initial work on these seven modules was conducted for a few days, and they are currently inactive. These modules include summaries, cabinet business, legal documents, project files, directives for the Chief Minister, special notes for the Chief Secretary, and details of assets. The provincial government has secured a loan of $118 million for this project, according to documents.Â
The approved project aimed to bring the affairs of 34 administrative departments online, with 4,000 secretariat employees working under the e-governance system. However, there has been no progress in this regard, and all matters are still being conducted through traditional paper-based methods.
Several departments faced issues with the software, and the Science and Information Technology department sent communications to address these concerns. The provincial government, however, has not resolved these issues. Critics have scrutinized the government’s handling of the project, suggesting that more rigorous testing should have preceded its launch.
