The Hindu : Corporation gearing up for computerisation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 26, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Corporation gearing up for computerisation

By T. Nandakumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 25. The decks have been cleared for the phased introduction of an electronic governance system to decentralise the functions of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation and improve citizen service facilities through a computer network linking the zonal centres with the main office.

On Monday, the Corporation Council cleared the supply of hardware and software components for the project. While two private companies will supply the computers and peripherals, the Information Kerala Mission will provide software support. The mission group at IKM has already prepared application packages for various operations and data entry of back records is almost complete.

The issue of birth and death and marriage certificates will be the first application to be taken up. The Corporation has almost completed the data entry of back records for the last five years with the help of Kudumbasree units. The initial phase of the project involves computerisation of the Health and Revenue departments. The Town Planning, Engineering and General sections will be computerised later.

The Corporation headquarters at Palayam is being equipped with a counter tax collection system similar to the one at the Friends Janasevana Kendram. The Revenue section to the right of the main entrance has been converted into a front office to house the counter and provide seating facilities for customers. It is provided with an interactive help desk and an electronic token dispensing system for queue management.

The computer-training institute run by the Corporation has already imparted basic IT skills to employees in various sections. A core team selected from these personnel is engaged in providing modular training to equip them for the new system.

The computerised system will ultimately help in monitoring of Plan projects, administration of pensions and welfare schemes, management of revenue, finance and accounts systems, public works management, handling establishment matters and community information systems at the head office and zonal centres.

The functions to be computerised include tax collection, establishment, workflow, accounts, works and decision support. The IKM mission group has completed a workflow module for file management and tracking. Another package for registration and issue of certificates and administration of pensions and welfare schemes is ready.

The utilities include a digitised repository of legislations and other documents relevant to local bodies, including constitutional provisions, Acts, rules, Government Orders, circulars, guidelines, notifications, relevant court judgments, application forms, manual of office procedures and general information. Another unique feature is an employment information system to create a database of job opportunities and human resources. All the packages are equipped with user-friendly Malayalam interface and search facility.

Corporation sources said the new system would enable automatic registration of birth and death in future when the civic body is networked to all city hospitals. "Once the validity of the electronic signature is accepted, birth certificates can be electronically transmitted to schools for admission of children," they claim.

The empowerment of staff under the new system is expected to replace vertical governance with horizontal administration and provide a solution to the acute staff shortage in the Corporation.

The system, which will be the first of its kind, involves ward-level data banks linked to a main pool. Daily transactions at the 10 zonal centres will be independent of the main office. The network will ensure that the main data pool is updated on a daily basis.

Officials in charge of the centres will be empowered to take decisions, with only policy matters referred to the main office for approval. The system will be extended to cover the 81 wards, including the new ones annexed from the suburban panchayats.

The Mayor, J. Chandra, said the first phase of the project was expected to become operational in two months.

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