Corpn. e-governance project fails to take off

Status report yet to be submitted to IKM

Nearly ten years after it was conceived, the Kochi Corporation’s e-governance project has fallen flat, despite steps taken to pull it back onto its feet a few months ago.

In June, the corporation had passed an agenda to hand the entire project over to the Information Kerala Mission (IKM).

“But nearly four months later, a status report on the existing system and the work that is left to be done has not yet been submitted to IKM,” said Mayor Soumini Jain.

The report was to have been submitted by the Corporation Secretary, she said. After the then Secretary went into quarantine, another official was given additional charge. The corporation’s Deputy Secretary has recently taken charge as the secretary.

Since a lot of data that was stored on a rudimentary e-governance system set up by TCS earlier would have to be transferred to the IKM software, existing work would have to be quantified first, the Mayor said. The few modules that TCS had made functional were operational now. Opposition councillors had merely raised a hue and cry a few months ago asking for a shift to IKM without any real substance to their argument, she said.

Councillor’s take

“Tax payments and submission of applications, however, are still to be done at the corporation office itself,” said K.V.P. Krishnakumar, councillor representing Ernakulam South. Last month saw crowds at the office counters to complete payments before September 30, he said. In the wake of COVID-19 restrictions, the Janasevana Kendram was shifted from the office premises to the nearby Yathra auditorium.

“The council’s term has nearly come to an end, but it has failed to ensure completion of a project that makes services easily available even in panchayats,” said K. J. Antony, Opposition leader.