E-Governance

Soon, e-payment for government services

Monday, 07 October 2013 04:58 administrator

The Hindu 07.10.2013

Soon, e-payment for government services

G. Anand

Bills can be paid through at least 70 banks

Presumably by October end, netizens in Kerala can remit their electricity and water bills and even traffic fines and university fee from the relative comfort of their homes or offices, thanks to a State government-sponsored electronic payment gateway that authorises credit/debit card payments for a whole range of government services.

Principal Secretary, Information Technology and Industries, K.S. Sreenivas told The Hindu that the e-payment gateway is currently integrated with the State government’s e-district governance programme and can be accessed only through Akshaya centres.

However, this is set to change with the State readying to launch an online web portal this month to enable citizens to access its e-commerce application service through computers, tablets, and smart phones with Internet connectivity.

Till recently, only citizens with credit/debit cards issued by two public sector banks could avail themselves of the e-payment facility.

The government has accorded a wider choice to citizens by authorising e-payments, including online banking transactions, through at least 70 private and public sector banks for its various services.

The service will be extended to all government departments, including the Motor Vehicle, Revenue, and Commercial Taxes departments.

Director, Kerala State Information Technology Mission, P. Balakiran, said the State, in association with the National Data Base Management Ltd, a Union government entity, has created the e-payment service platform, which would empower citizens to make all types of payments to the government, including various licence fee, taxes, and utility bill payments, without having to queue up in front of crowded counters at government offices.

Internet usage and computer literacy in Kerala were growing at an exponential rate and in a matter of a few years, they would become universal in the State.

He said that in one stroke, the State has also bypassed the need for its citizens to rely on “costly” private electronic payment gateways in availing themselves of public services that are transactional in nature by ensuring that its e-payment service charges are the lowest in the global e-commerce market.

Simultaneously, in a bid to enhance transparency and efficiency in all forms of government procurement, the State government has ordered all its departments to go in for e-tendering.

The Industries Department, for one, has ordered that for any procurement above Rs.1 lakh, the tender should be published online and only online bids in the prescribed digital format be entertained.

Mr. Sreenivas said the compliance level to the order has been very high, thereby negating, to a great extent, allegations of nepotism and corruption.

Margao Municipal Council decides to hold e-tenders in abeyance

Tuesday, 01 October 2013 09:01 administrator

The Times of India 01.10.2013

Margao Municipal Council decides to hold e-tenders in abeyance

MARGAO: At a special meeting of the Margao Municipal Council (MMC) held on Monday, the council adopted a resolution that the tenders of development works in the city floated by the MMC, which were recently opened, be kept in abeyance until the entire process is verified.

The meeting was chaired by officiating chairperson Bertha Cardozo. Chief officer Deepali Naik is on leave and the meeting was conducted in her absence.

The 12-member group of councillors, which had recently ousted Arthur D'Silva from the post of chairperson, had alleged irregularities in the e-tendering process and demanded that it be scrapped. However, the tenders were opened despite their opposition, leading to disenchantment among this group.

The council also adopted a resolution demanding that special status be granted to Goa, given its limited land resources. The motion moved by councillor Pratima Coutinho was supported by all.

e-tendering in civic bodies

Wednesday, 11 September 2013 04:57 administrator

The Hindu 11.09.2013

e-tendering in civic bodies

Special Correspondent

The State government has decided to introduce e-tendering in civic bodies for civil works that cost above Rs.5 lakh, Minister for Urban Affairs Manjalamkuzhi Ali has said. The e-tendering facility will come into force in corporations and municipalities immediately after Onam. This will prevent unhealthy competition among contractors and avert losses for the civic bodies, Mr. Ali said in a release here on Tuesday.

MCC invites SMS complaints

Wednesday, 11 September 2013 04:35 administrator

The Hindu 11.09.2013

MCC invites SMS complaints

Special Correspondent

The Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) has urged people to make use of the dedicated cell number 9900536633 to send SMS to the corporation for filing complaints on unattended garbage in their wards.

Under the SMS-based grievance redressal system a complaint number would be generated and measures taken to clear the garbage would be informed to the complainant. The format is as follows: COM, ward no: 40, area/street name, door to door collection waste not cleared for two days.

To be more transparent in solid waste management the MCC has fixed vehicle tracking equipment to all vehicles on contract.The contractors would have to upload photographs of garbage bins before and after clearing them using their cell phones which have a pre-loaded software. The data is transmitted to the corporation office where clearance of the bins would be monitored.

Civic body to name local body tax defaulters on website

Tuesday, 10 September 2013 08:12 administrator

The Times of India 10.09.2013

Civic body to name local body tax defaulters on website

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation is contemplating to put up names of LBT (local body tax) defaulters on its website. The civic administration feels that by making the names public, it could reduce the number of defaulters.

The LBT for a particular month has to be paid by the 20th of the following month, failing which a penalty is levied. The penalty is calculated at the rate of 2% of the total LBT amount payable by a trader.

"The property tax department has introduced a similar system. Payments from defaulters improved after their names were displayed on the website. As the experiment by the property tax department led to increase in collection, the LBT department, too, is now planning to replicate the scheme," officials at LBT department said.

They said the deadline for registering for LBT was extended twice. Traders were supposed to register themselves by March-end, the date was extended till May on traders' request. But many failed to adhere to the new deadline and demanded more time. The civic body then gave them time till June 20. Even after that, some traders have not registered, while some of those registered, have not been paying the tax in time.

The PMC has collected Rs 65 lakh as penalty for late payment of tax from as many as 4,500 traders in the city. It has initiated action against 325 traders for not responding to non-payment notices. The LBT rule has a provision under which the PMC can charge Rs 5,000 to those who fail to reply to the civic administration's notice. When contacted, Vilas Kanade, head of the LBT department, confirmed the development. Over 69,000 traders have registered for LBT so far. Traders related to industries, liquor shops and oil companies have paid the tax. Payments have been made through demand drafts, cash, cheques and internet banking.

Octroi, a key revenue source for the civic body, was replaced with the LBT on April 1. Octroi generated a daily revenue of Rs three crore and a revenue of up to Rs 100 crore a month. In 2012-13, the civic body garnered Rs 1,200 crore from octroi.

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