The Hindu : New Delhi News : MCD focuses on e-governance

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Thursday, Nov 01, 2007
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New Delhi

MCD focuses on e-governance

Staff Reporter

Ambitious plans to avail of advantages of information age

NEW DELHI: After handing out laptop computers to its councillors this past month, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has now diverted its e-gaze to organisational infrastructure with ambitious plans to avail itself of the advantages of the information age.

At a special presentation at Town Hall here on Wednesday, a Tata Consultancy Services spokesperson said one of the main reasons for the civic body’s “low public image” was its lack of accountability. Citing the example of an online complaint that had been registered with the MCD, the spokesperson said no action had been taken on the issue even a month later.

The spokesperson said the prime objective of computerised networking within an organisation was to eliminate paperwork, link all depts and provide easy access, greater accountability to the public.

Biometric systems

“The MCD employs over a lakh and a half personnel and biometric systems will ensure a seamless method of recording attendance and tracking employee performance. Eliminating paperwork is another priority. Mumbai’s civic body has a 98 per cent digital database,” he added.

Additional Commissioner Naresh Kumar said though several intra-departmental and self-contained e-processes had been employed recently, the need of the hour was a “holistic” approach.

Summing up the proceedings, MCD Standing panel chief Vijender Gupta said: “We haven’t achieved an iota of what we had set out to achieve. E-governance will bring in a degree of efficiency to our functioning. I urge all officials concerned to expedite the process.”

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