Chennai: A new web application to monitor all civic work  in the city introduced by the corporation could spell the end of its engineers and other staff making money on the side from payment for substandard work or work simply not done.

The  web-based application  platform which has bro­­ught in a  new mode of payment for the  contractors  was introdu­ced from October 1. In future the civic contractors engaged for all ongoing projects like road repairs, storm water drain construction and park restoration  will have their payment directly deposited into their designated bank accounts.

Additionally there will now be online file processing of all estimates,  which will be sanctioned and linked using a unique asset code. The objective behind the introduction of web-based monitoring system is better supervision and monitoring of civic works to weed out the corruption, say corporation sources. 

Recalling that  the free online certificates for birth and death registrations intr­oduced by the DMK regime  had helped the civic body do away with middlemen in its health department,  former mayor M. Subramanian says the new e-governance modules will help  curb corruption in its operations even further.

But the move has not gone down with the city engineers themselves, who feel the corporation is doi­ng nothing to prevent corruption among corporators who generally flout rules on civic projects.

“Demanding a paltry am­ount while clearing contract bills is an age-old practice among a few engineers and the contractors voluntarily grease their palms. There are many restrictions already to prevent corruption among engineers, but councillors are left scot-free,” fumed an engineer at one of the zonal offices.