The Indian Express              01.11.2013

E-governance project: PMC to go PCMC way

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to follow the neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to implement the e-governance project to enable user-friendly online facility for civic services after the PCMC project was recognised at the national level.

In a proposal tabled before the standing committee, municipal commissioner Mahesh Pathak said the PCMC work in e-governance has been applauded by the Union government and all the civic bodies had been recommended to follow the model.

"The PMC had undertaken the e-governance project in 2009, as per the guidelines under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). However, the civic administration has been facing problem with regard to its implementation, as the software is outdated and the civic administration is unable to bring in changes to accommodate the revised civic rules, as there is no source code available for the purpose," he said.

Later, the company that was shortlisted to implement the project was blacklisted and there had been a delay in appointing a new agency for the purpose. Thus, the PMC administration has decided to rope in the same agency that was working in PCMC for the project.

"The PMC will have to sign an agreement with the agency. The civic body will not have to shell out anything, as four banks have decided to pay the agency Rs 2.2 crore for the e-governance project," he added.

A total of 28 civic facilities will be provided through the project. It includes collection of property tax, local body tax, issuance of birth and death certificates.