Coimbatore’s e-governance initiative paying off

There has never been a shortage in hype with regard to e-governance initiatives of state governments or local self-government institutions, but when it comes to delivery of a bouquet of services, the achievement has often been short of promises and expectations. The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) is proving to be an exception on that count with the corporation’s e-governance initiative not only integrating all its departments to facilitate activities from on-line tendering to garbage lifting, but also putting even the deliberations of the corporation council on the net.

“We will be hosting on the internet the discussions held in all our council meetings and the status of major schemes to be implemented in the city under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). This will ensure transparency in our activities,” mayor R Venkatachalam told ET. According to him, such transparency is what is prescribed by the rules as well. “Transparency is a condition laid down by the JNNURM under which more than 10 schemes are to be implemented. The schemes include the ones for a Bus Rapid Transit System, underground sewers, multi-tier parking lots and houses for slum dwellers,” he said. The civic body is maintaining its website (www.coimbatore-corporation.com) since 2003 facilitating the public to have all information about the corporation, including its tax details.

The e-governance system provides the citizens of Coimbatore roundthe-clock access to corporation services through internet. The solution also accomplishes the vital linking of the CCMC central office to its various zonal and subzonal facilitation centres to integrate functions at all sites and centralise information with allpoint service-offering capability. “The system integrates all departments of the corporation such as engineering, public health, town planning, accounts, establishment, payroll and human resources to facilitating online payment of dues, filing and settlement of complaints and grievances, tracking of building plans, registration and issuance of birth and death certificates, monitoring of infrastructure works, online tendering and tracking of garbage lifting,” a CCMC official said. Not content with these, the civic body has also drawn up plans to launch an interactive voice response system and short messaging service facility for tax information.

“For those who do not have internet access, we are implementing these new facilities,” CCMC commissioner P Muthuveerran said. CCMC is also negotiating with some of the nationalised banks to set up payment kiosks on their premises, facilitating easy payments through cheques, cards and cash. The userfriendly and simpler processes have resulted in enhancing the tax collection for the corporation, taking the tax collection to Rs 61 crore in the last fiscal as against Rs 47 crore a year ago. “The idea is not only to improve revenue or administration but also to offer better services,” points out V Veerapandian, assistant commissioner (accounts), CCMC.

Recognition has not been difficult to come by for the unique initiatives of CCMC. The corporation has bagged two national merit certificates – one each for leadership in egovernance initiative and for design, development and content of website. Encouraged by the success of its IT initiatives, the CCMC is planning to introduce schemes such as tender submission by digital signature system, incorporation of other government department services at the corporation service centres, and even linking garbage and water supply vehicle movements by monitoring them using the global positioning system.

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