Better quality through e-governance
Thursday, 19 November 2009 02:19
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The Hindu 19.11.2009 Better quality through e-governance Staff Reporter BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP) is planning to take a majority of its activitiesonline in a bid to improve the quality of service and reducing the cost incurred in rendering them. Speaking to presspersons after a conference on implementation of e-governance, BBMP Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena and Administrator K.M. Shiva Kumar said that now tenders would be procured online to ensure greater transparency and ensure more competition amongst bidders. Mr. Kumar said e-procurement was expected to save the BBMP close to Rs. 350 crore, and that this was “just a small portion of what would be saved perpetually”. The other major e-governance project was a web-based project monitoring system on which work progress at remote construction sites can be independently loaded by the contractor as well as the inspection agency stationed at the site. Of the 15,000 projects, information on 9,000 had been uploaded, and the remaining would be done in a week, Mr. Kumar said. Also on similar lines were assessment of property through satellite imagery or the Geographic Information System, GPS for garbage disposal, “Spandana”, a public grievance system, an online system for monitoring court cases, an online khata system, a web-based birth and death registration system, integrated financial management and online bill payment among various others. Online monitoring of projects enabled the top brass track the progress of projects. “Timely monitoring at a higher level can sort out most problems,” Mr. Kumar said. Moreover, satellite imaging would help track unassessed property, and the potential revenue from this would be close to Rs. 700 crore to Rs. 800 crore, doubling the BBMP’s income. Mr. Meena said that people could register their complaints on “Spandana” telephonically, by filling the online registration form, by email or by texting. A. Venkatesha, Deputy Director-General, National Informatics Centre, said the entire online setup was foolproof and there was no scope hacker attacks. Mr. Venkatesha said that the system was equipped with digital signature and 64-bit encryption, which made snooping impossible. To register grievances online logon to http://spandana.kar.nic.in or call 9841844444 or 22660000.
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 November 2009 02:21
BBMP help now just an SMS away
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 10:32
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The New Indian Express 18.11.2009BBMP help now just an SMS away
BANGALORE: A solution to the civic woes in your locality could soon be just an SMS away. BBMP on Tuesday launched a service under which one has to send an SMS to its control room on problems in the locality — be it stray dog menace, garbage disposal, malfunctioning lights or others. BBMP officials will in turn send an SMS on the status of the complaint after attending to the problem. To facilitate complaint registration, a 24/7 citizen call centre will function with state-of-the-art public grievance redressal system. BBMP administrator K M Shivakumar told reporters that the system ensured all complaints from the public were attended to in the least possible time. “It is an interactive system with SMS integration to estimate the status of a complaint and to take necessary measures so that the problem is resolved within the stipulated time,” he said. “People will be given a complaint number as soon as they fill in the grievance form online. With this number, they can know the status of their complaint. The complaint will be forwarded to the official concerned. The in-charge jurisdictional officer is provided with a facility to monitor the grievance inflow, redressal and pendency,” said BBMP commissioner Bharatlal Meena. Shivakumar said that the e-procurement and e-governance initiative launched by BBMP two months ago has improved efficiency. The Global Positioning System and Geographical Information System have brought more properties under the tax net, Shivakumar said. Also, with the help of the web-based project monitoring system, BBMP is uploading progress of various project works on the website. With help from National Informatics Centre, it has initiated services like issue of birth and death certificates, issue of trade licences, automation of management of markets and management of advertisement boards.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 November 2009 10:36
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SMC to install 10 information kiosks by month end
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 09:07
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The Times of India 17.11.2009 SMC to install 10 information kiosks by month endMELVYN THOMAS, TNN 17 November 2009, 10:13pm IST SURAT: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has come up with yet another public utility service that should make life easier for the people. Municipal commissioner S Aparna's brainchild, about 10 kiosks of touch screen information system will be installed at six different zones in the city, including the newly- built Science Centre and Sarthana Zoo, by November-end.
The machine, which is an encyclopaedia of SMC, will be made available to residents of the city free of charge and it will contain key information on services and facilities provided by the corporation.
To be installed at strategic locations, the touch screen kiosks can be used by residents to source information on charges, healthcare services, gardens, vaccination centres, water and drainage, marriage, birth and death registration, professional tax, shop and establishment tax, individual consumer information, details about ward offices, activities of councillors in their respective municipal wards etc.
"The aim behind installing touch screen informative kiosks is to make life easier for Surtis. Usually, residents complain that they do not get adequate and clear information from the staff or that their replies are not satisfactory. Anyone can walk in at anytime and get information on any SMC related topic. The answer will be accurate and information available on peoples' finger tips," said assistant commissioner of SMC's information system department (ISD) CY Bhatt.
According to Bhatt, a touch screen informative kiosk was installed at SMC headquarters on trial basis a few months ago. The decision to extend touch screen services in other zones was taken following the success of first kiosk.
While SMC has sourced the kiosk machines from HCL, the ISD department has put in a lot of effort to install necessary information about municipal services and facilities.
"We have even fed the key data of all our 15,000 employees. Now, even SMC employees can access information from the kiosks such as their salary statement, leave, holidays etc," Bhatt added.
Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 November 2009 09:12
Soon, CCTV cameras at PCMC offices
Wednesday, 18 November 2009 07:48
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The Times of India 18.11.2009 Soon, CCTV cameras at PCMC officesTNN 18 November 2009, 08:17am IST PUNE: The standing committee of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Tuesday approved a proposal to install close-circuit television cameras in all municipal offices, civic hospitals and octroi posts.
Addressing a news conference here on Tuesday, committee chairman Dnyaneshwar Bhalerao said that the idea came from a proposal tabled by the civic administration to synchronise traffic signals at important chowks at an expenditure of Rs 45.85 lakh.
During the meeting, officials said that the cameras to be installed at the traffic signals will also get images of unruly motorists. The committee members then expressed the need to install this system at all municipal properties to improve security.
The members suggested that the cameras should be installed at all the civic hospitals water purification plants and water tanks. There is no limit on spending on this proposal as the committee has approved the actual expenditure that will be incurred on the project.
Another proposal tabled on Tuesday was regarding concession to ex-servicemen in property tax. Bhalerao said that the administration had proposed 50 per cent concession in the general taxes to ex-servicemen having houses on an area less than 1,500 sq.ft. But they will have to pay the full education tax, drainage tax and utility taxes.
Saying that ex-servicemen have been granted 100 per cent concession in property tax in Thane, member Prashant Shitole asked this benefit is denied to residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad.
“The committee amended the proposal and approved 100 per cent concession in general tax to ex-servicemen living in houses with an area of 1,500 sq.ft. The proposal will be sent to the general body,” Bhalerao said.
This concession will not be given for commercial properties. The ex-servicemen or their wives have to submit the proof of living certificate every year besides discharge certificate, pension payment order and copy of the identity card to the PCMC to get the benefit. The benefit will be given only to those ex-servicemen who are receiving pension.
The standing committee also approved developmental projects with a total expenditure of Rs 48.98 crore during the meeting.
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