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E-Governance

KWA software network to cover entire state soon

Monday, 30 November 2009 09:59 administrator
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The New Indian Express 30.11.2009

KWA software network to cover entire state soon

Athira M

 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is all set to roll out its hardware and software infrastructure across the State.

The next one year would see entire network infrastructure and software packages being implemented at KWA offices across the State, thus making it the first public utility service to go fully online.

The important software expansion will be of Advanced Billing, Accounting and Collection Utility System (ABACUS), which was implemented in the Thiruvananthapuram Division in January, 2008. Now the consumers can pay water charges in any collection centre under the division. When fully implemented across the State, consumers can pay water charges at any collection centre.

‘’Now it has only consumer billing, covering over 1.8 lakh consumers of the Thiruvananthapuram division. We are adding 10 new modules to the existing ABACUS. This enhanced ABACUS will be the one that will be rolled out to the 192 centres in the State (excluding the centres in Thiruvananthapuram), thus covering over 12 lakh consumers,’’ a KWA official said.

The existing data in the systems in Kochi and Kozhikode Corporations and various municipalities will migrate to the enhanced ABACUS. Another software that will be rolled out is the Complaint Redressal System, which is already in place in the Thiruvananthapuram division. It is being extended to 33 more KWA Revenue Divisions.

The Project Monitoring System software, currently being used for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project, will be used for other projects also in future. The modules for Employee Information System and Financial Accounting System are in the testing phase. The hardware roll-out will mainly have the expansion of the network infrastructure. Connectivity will be extended to the 440 offices of the KWA in 202 locations with Kerala State Wide Area Network (KSWAN) as the backbone. Now KSWAN has connectivity up to the block level.

‘’The price bids for the network expansion have already been opened. It will take nearly 10 months for the complete execution of the same. The tenders for server infrastructure and ac-

Last Updated on Monday, 30 November 2009 10:16
 

BBMP's plan approval system to go digital

Saturday, 28 November 2009 00:00 administrator
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The New Indian Express 29.11.2009

BBMP's plan approval system to go digital

Express News Service

 

BANGALORE: The tedious process of building plan approval with manual verification will be a thing of the past when BBMP puts a new software in place to ensure plan approval in just 10 days.

To expedite the building plan approval process, BBMP is adopting a new software to digitise planning approval. The software ensures scrutiny of building plans in short time and the approval process will take just 10 days, against the 30 days that it took earlier.

“In the present system, the town planning department functions from all eight zonal offices in the manual verification method. With the implementation of the software, we can cut on the delays and inaccuracies. The system is already adopted in Pune and few other cities. The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) has agreed to fund the project initially,” said BBMP commissioner Bharatlal Meena, in an interaction programme at the Express office on Friday.

“The process is expected to start functioning in the next 15 days. Public can get the building plan in a digital format and once that is loaded in the system, it will immediately give the details of boundaries and outer boundaries and calculate the floor area ratio (FAR), check setback details, he explained.

“We are in the stage of procuring the software as per our requirement. The staff will be trained in using the software.

Also, BBMP is planning to take the process online in the later stage wherein people can at least submit the plan from their home,” said an official from BBMP's town planning department.

“However, BBMP officials would also go to the construction sites to cross-check the facts after the submission of the plan,” the official added.

HOW IT IS USEFUL

● Engineers who check the details on their computers, do not really have to go through all the designs and drawings because the software checks different aspects of the building plan while applying the rules.

● Anything wrong in the planning can be identified and rectified on the spot.

● Helps reducing corruption and increasing transparency of the scrutiny process.

● The plan approval system through e-governance initiatives will help to check different aspects of the building plan, scrutinise applications and give info about violations, if any.

Last Updated on Monday, 30 November 2009 05:36
 

Rajasthan launches new e-governance project

Saturday, 21 November 2009 03:11 administrator
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The Hindu 21.11.2009

Rajasthan launches new e-governance project

Special Correspondent

- Photo: Rohit Jain Paras

A new beginning: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Union Panchayat Minister C. P. Joshi and Union Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology Sachin Pilot at the launch of Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi e-Seva Kendra at Dudu near Jaipur.

DUDU (JAIPUR): An ambitious e-governance project for rural areas, Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi e-Seva Kendra, was launched by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot in the presence of a large number of villagers here on Thursday. Mr. Gehlot termed the Rs.500-crore project as the first step towards making Rajasthan a fully “electronic State”.

A follow-up on the previous month’s announcement during the golden jubilee celebrations of Panchayati Raj in India at Nagaur in the presence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi on empowerment of villages, the new Rajiv Gandhi e-kendras are meant to educate as well as act as service providers for the rural areas. Under this, each of the 249 blocks in Rajasthan would have one kendra which would facilitate rural citizens in payment of various types of bills, in making rail reservations and in procuring copies of birth/death/caste certificates without “usual harassment and delay”. The significance of the event—which was purposely scheduled to coincide with the birth anniversary of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi—held in this tehsil town 65 km from the State capital, was obvious not only from the turnout of the villagers but also the presence of Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister C. P. Joshi and Union Minister of State for Information Technology Sachin Pilot besides three ministers of the Gehlot Cabinet. The area falls under the parliamentary constituency of Mr. Pilot.

Prof. Joshi in his address hinted that the scheme could be extended to the entire country under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) now named after Mahatma Gandhi.

“Each of the panchayats can have such a kendra,” he said, adding, “Our efforts are to empower the panchayats. The State and the Centre are now taking many steps towards this.”

Mr. Pilot hailed the e-kendras as models for bridging the gap between rural and urban India.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gehlot announced that his government proposes to have master plans for the villages so that development could be carried out in a systematic manner. The master plans for the villages would be made keeping in mind the growth potential of the area for the next half-century.

Mr. Gehlot said the Rajiv Gandhi e-seva kendras were linked to the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The State is making use of the funds from MGNREGS as well as assistance from NABARD to create the centres which would also function as hubs of e-learning, video conferencing and as computerised work stations. They would have the services of EDUSAT and GRAMSAT, he said.

The Chief Minister hinted at the future role of funds from MGNREGS in rural development. “Funds are no problem, but it is for you to ensure that there is no corruption under NREGS,” he said.

He promised 50 days’ additional employment to those in the areas affected by drought conditions besides the mandatory 100 days’ work for a year under the job scheme.

Last Updated on Saturday, 21 November 2009 03:13
 
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