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Coimbatore
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The e-governance initiative of the Local Planning Authority for Coimbatore will ensure transparency of operations and facilitate easy access to information, write V. S. Palaniappan and M. Soundariya Preetha
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– Photos: K. Ananthan
e-governance: A computer centre set up by the Local Planning Authority as part of an e-governance initiative.
It is a world of maps, plans, and classifications. For those of us who fear to enter this world of papers, all information will soon be available in e-format. The Local Planning Authority of Coimbatore has joined hands with the Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore for an e-governance project.
As a beginning, computerised information service is available to the public at the LPA office. People can approach the centre to know about the status of their application.
Further, the LPA has 286 development plans. Of these, 60 are approved maps. In the first phase, 40 of these will be available in CD format and also online (www. coimbatore.tn.nic.in/lpa).
Applications will be checked for necessary documents and details using the computer.
“The e-governance project will be carried out in a phased manner,” says G. Manikavasagam Pillai, Joint Director of the LPA.
Besides insulating the public from risks and disappointments on details about land use classification, the e-governance initiative will also help in speeding up the paper works at the local planning authority.
The e-governance project will cover core Coimbatore City and the peripheral local bodies such as Town Panchayats, Municipalities and Village Panchayats covering over 120 villages in the fringe areas of the City.
Among the public friendly features of the e-governance system, which was launched by the District Collector and Chairman of LPA, Neeraj Mittal, is that the public can become aware of the detailed development plans of a particular area.
They can also know the future plans in a given area, such as road-widening, link or scheme roads.
The Collector points out that the key aim of the system is transparency and speed. All the five phases will be completed in six months.
Any paper brought to the office will have computer-generated acknowledgement receipt, thus ensuring that information is updated regularly.
“It is a vision for a paperless office with no room for excuses such as files and papers missing,” he says.
The project envisages development of standard formats to communicate circulars and letters, financial budgeting and accounting covered under e-governance, digitising the detailed development plants of Coimbatore and developing a website for the LPA.
Compact Discs containing digitised maps of development plans released by the Local Planning Authority as part of an e-governance initiative.
When the project is commissioned fully, a potential investor can punch in the survey number, know the classification of the site and know if it is sold for the right purpose.
For example, land meant for commercial or industrial purpose cannot be sold for residential purpose.
Similarly fraudulent practices such as sale of reserved sites or sites meant for public utility for other purposes can also be checked before investing on such a land.
With the information available in electronic format, officials in Coimbatore and Chennai can access various activities of LPA office, attend to pitfalls and plan better.
Further, investors living abroad also stand to benefit in accessing details over the Internet.
By eliminating the need for public to visit the LPA office, chances for corruption will be reduced and an online monitoring system will help remove charges of inordinate delay in processing the files.
The Residents’ Awareness Association of Coimbatore has provided the computers and application software and also digitised the development plans.
The software has been developed after in-depth study of various processes of the LPA office and in consultation with experts.
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