Kozhikode: Paperless plan still on papers

Kozhikode: The Kozhikode Municipal Corporation’s plan to implement e-governance with the help of free software to create a paperless office is yet to take shape. The plan  was taken up actively when Mr V.K.C. Mammed Koya was mayor,  but it lost steam after a change at the helm.   The corporation had decided early this year to implement the e-governance taking a cue from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and similar civic bodies where the system is successfully implemented. 

Through e-governance,  one can upload documents and  download certificates issued by the corporation online. “We started the project actively and made teams in each department to contribute ideas for implementing it.  The staff  are also given classes on Information Technology  every Wednesday to  use the software and computer systems. The former mayor regularly conducted  team meetings and created WhatsApp groups to share their ideas  and also  assess the progress,” said a former corporation  official.

“The system would help the staff  give better service to the people. Somehow after the mayor changed, we didn’t hear much of it,” said another staff member. Deputy Mayor Meera Darshak told DC  that the project was still on. “A sub-committee of the city consultative committee would meet on August 16 to discuss the issue,” she added.