Changed Governance or Computerized Governance? Computerized Property Transfer Processes in Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

The government of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is plagued by a bloated workforce, low levels of transparency and accountability, high levels of corruption, and poor quality of public services. Does e-government really meet such governance challenges? Tamil Nadu's first major e-government project, STAR, uses ICTs in the administrative processes relating to sale, mortgage, lease of real estate properties, providing title search reports, and allied services. This study of the objectives, implementation, and funding of the project and a survey of the impact on the stakeholders reveals that key policy choices, and not merely the technology employed, determine the impact of e-government projects.