The Hindu 07.12.2013
CMA to take IT professionals’ help in improving urban governance
Special Correspondent
It plans to hold a contest on the Anna University campus
With the idea of improving urban governance in the
State, the office of Commissioner of Municipal Administration (CMA) has
decided to seek ideas and concepts from information technology (IT)
professionals.
It has planned to hold a contest on
the Anna University campus here on December 14 and 15. The valuable
inputs to be received from the professionals will be utilised to develop
further e-governance applications for 126 municipalities and nine
municipal corporations (barring Chennai) in areas such as civic
services, urban sanitation and hygiene, solid waste management, health,
education and the internal working of the urban local bodies (ULBs).
Called “Hackathon,” the contest is expected to see the participation of
“hundreds of IT professionals,” according to Chandrakanth Kamble,
Commissioner of Municipal Administration.
A panel of
jury comprising academicians of the Anna University and seasoned civil
servants would choose the best ideas, for which prizes would be given on
the second day of the event.
Mr. Kamble told
reporters on Friday that given the increasing use of mobile phones by
people and advancements in mobile phone technology, the proposed
applications would be integrated with the existing framework of delivery
of services so that citizens got services in a simplified manner on
anytime anywhere basis.
It had been proposed to take
up a comprehensive e-governance project under the Jawaharlal Nehru
National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), for which bids had been
floated. After executing pilot projects in one municipality and one
municipal corporation, the project was likely to be rolled out within
six to nine months.
Pointing out that 200 persons
had, so far, enrolled themselves for the event, he said that those who
were interested to take part in the contest should log on
tohttp://www.thoughtworks .com/events/cma-hackathon-code-governancefor registration.
