Deccan Chronicle 07.10.2013
Web module to end civic graft
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.