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E-Governance

MCC preparing for e-governance

Friday, 19 February 2010 03:04 administrator
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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.

Last Updated on Friday, 19 February 2010 03:07
 

Online tender has hit biz, say contractors

Thursday, 18 February 2010 07:34 administrator
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Deccan Chronicle 18.02.2010

Online tender has hit biz, say contractors

February 18th, 2010
By DC Correspondent , DC Correspondent

Feb. 17: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s decision to go in for e-procurement even when awarding tenders for many of its projects, has not gone down well with the contractors’ lobby, which has alleged that this will keep them out of business.

But its argument has cut no ice with BBMP officers who contend that the contractors’ cartel is upset because it is is no longer able to monopolise tenders, giving no room for fresh contractors to bid for projects. “When the contractors’ cartel participated in the tender process, it made sure that the contract was bagged by one of its own. The work was later distributed among many contractors who also shared the profit,” say officers.

So far tenders have been issued for 560 projects through e-procurement and work has begun on 230 of them. BBMP administrator K.N. Shivakumar, who was instrumental in implementing it, says it benefits both BBMP and the public.

“E-procurement has helped BBMP save money as work is being completed at the cost quoted with no escalations at a later date. It has been implemented as per the law. As the state government has made it compulsory no contractor can protest,” he said.

Association president R.G. Srinivas claims e-procurement is working against small contractors who have no knowledge of computers and the online process. BBMP must issue manual tenders for low cost projects worth below Rs 50 lakh to keep them in business, he said. In a memorandum to BBMP, he urged it to pay arrears of Rs 1,500 crore due to the contractors.

 

PCMC to integrate computer operations

Wednesday, 17 February 2010 15:08 administrator
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The Times of India 17.02.2010

PCMC to integrate computer operations

TNN, Feb 17, 2010, 05.07am IST
PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) is planning to get a software to integrate computer applications in 40 civic departments at a cost of Rs 4.36 crore.

Speaking to TOI on Tuesday, Neelkanth Poman, computer officer, said the project will be implemented through funds received under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.

The proposal seeking approval to allot the contract for development of such a software, operationlising it and maintaining it for five years will be discussed at the standing committee meeting to be held on Wednesday.

Poman said cities selected for funds under the JNNURM scheme have to implement e-governance applications. The Union government has sanctioned Rs 9.24 crore to the PCMC under its National mission project for e-governance in municipalities' on May 31, 2009. PCMC, he said, will be creating a unique database and bringing computer applications of all the civic departments on to a single platform. "There are a total of 40 civic departments in the PCMC. We have 23 existing computer applications, which will be transformed and reused on a single platform. We will have to create another 13 computer applications. With the completion of the project, the civic departments will be able to share their data with each other"

According to Poman, the PCMC has already signed an agreement with the Union government for the project. The government has asked PCMC to develop the software in 16 months. The agency will have to maintain the software for a period of two years. Bids have been invited for the project, he added.
 
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