THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: While the Central government talks about making the economy cashless, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has not achieved basic e-governance goals even decades after efforts. The online file tracking system does not work effectively due to primitive software. Corporation offices are not networked properly to reap the benefits of computerisation. Basic files sent from the Corporation office take weeks to reach the zonal office leading to delays. Many sections bank on files and register books and councillors have to shuttle between offices to get jobs done.
A single IT officer who works on a contract basis looks after computerisation in the civic body which has 100 wards. Most communication still happens over letters and not online. “The government-run Information Kerala Mission (IKM) oversees e-governance here. They have been trying to computerise the Corporation for more than a decade. The Corporation has been purchasing and replacing computer hardware for all its offices. However, nothing is working because there is no good working software,” said a very senior councillor.
Deputy Mayor Rakhi Ravikumar said that the IKM put the blame on networking. “The IKM sees the Corporation and panchayat with the same perspective. New wards have been added but the staff pattern has not been revised in decades. Forget an exclusive IT department, we do not have an electrical department to look after our streetlights,” said Ms Ravikumar. While some of the Corporation services like birth and death registration can be done online, most people visit the office, say officials.
