The Hindu 19.02.2010
MCC preparing for e-governance
Raviprasad Kamila
| Bids for comprehensive computerisation have already been invited |
Project estimated to cost about
Rs. 10 crore
It aims at speeding up delivery of services
GEARING UP: The computer section at the Mangalore City Corporation.
MANGALORE: The Mangalore City Corporation will computerise its entire administrative operations at an estimated cost of Rs. 7 crore to Rs. 10 crore shortly, according to its Commissioner K.N. Vijayaprakash.
The civic body invited bids for the process in the first week of this month, he told The Hindu.
At present, only some of its operations such as issuing birth and death certificates and maintaining data, issuing trade licences, maintaining accounts and water supply billing have been computerised. .
The objective of the computerisation drive was to reduce the use of paper, increase transparency and speed up delivery of services, he said.
E-tendering
The Commissioner said that the civic body would shortly switch to e-tendering (inviting bids online).
Mr. Vijayaprakash said that although second week of March had been fixed as the deadline for completing the process of bid submission, the civic body was planning to extend it because it wanted to provide some time for the corporation to switch over to e-tendering system. As a first step in this direction, the very process of inviting bids for computerisation was itself being done online, he said.
The successful bidder would have to develop software for different sections of the corporation, upload existing documents, maintain data, hardware, software, networking and UPS systems for five years. He would have to supply computer systems and printers and also maintain them. Once the entire system was set up, people would be able to access information through the Internet, Mr. Vijayaprakash said.
The Commissioner said that the civic body had plans to introduce integrated voice recording system for recording people’s complaints through voice. Now, people were filing complaints in writing or sending e-complaints on www.mangalorecity.gov.in.
However, G. Hanumantha Kamath, president, Nagarika Hitarakshana Samithi, Mangalore, is not optimistic about the success of e-governance in the corporation. Vested interests were against the transparency attached to e-governance and they might scuttle its implementation, he said.
