Sakarma to ensure transparency in Kasargod

Kozhikode: The local self-government institutions in Kasargod  will gain transparency  as the details of various meetings  will go online soon. According to Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA), Kasargod will  be the first district to achieve digitisation by October.  “Already 16 grama panchayats have switched to the new mode. The specially designed ‘Sakarma’ software is being used for this. From the agenda setting of a meeting, serving of notices, number of members attended, questions asked, reply given, decisions taken etc will be available online,” explained KILA district coordinator C. Shyamala.

As of now, the online facility is for members and officials only. In the next phase, the software would be linked to meeting.lsg.kerala.gov.in, so that the public will get the details.  “The benefits are transparency and elimination of  laxity and violation of norms. As per rule, the decisions of panchayat meetings should be known after 48 hours and municipal council meetings by 72 hours. But these  are not available even after 72 days. Besides, there will  be addition and omission on decisions taken in the meetings. These will end once the details go  online,” says panchayat assistant director P. Mohammad Nisar.

The public could directly evaluate the performance of the members—their presence, questions raised, role in decision-making, participation in discussions etc.  Violations like passing of important resolution without the requisite number of members could also be averted. “In the first phase, the software would be uploaded on the mobile phones/computers of members and officials.  A decision once taken cannot be altered. Similarly, if there is no requisite number of members present in the meeting, the software will automatically switch off,” says Mrs Shyamala.  KILA had imparted training to  all self-government institutions in the district. The district planning committee had set the October deadline to complete the mission.