With no response from the State government in developing a common software for municipal bodies to provide online services, the Mangaluru City Corporation Council on Wednesday decided to seek government permission to develop the software on its own.
During a meeting of the council here on Wednesday, Commissioner Mohammed Nazir said that the corporation had proposed to the State government for the development of the system two years ago. The proposal has been kept pending by the government, after promising to develop a common software for all the urban local bodies in the State. As nothing has been done, Mayor Bhaskar K., in a meeting he chaired recently, decided to go ahead with developing the system. Mr. Nazir said that Hubli Dharward Municipal Corporation, Shivamogga City Corporaiton and Tumakuru City Corporation were using their own software.
Apart from collection of property tax and water tax, the corporation wants to provide online services for collecting licence fees from shops and for advertisement hoardings. Among others, it has proposed the installation of touch-screen kiosks, developing mobile application for citizen services, GIS and GPS-based survey module and GIS-based asset management system.
Earlier, Premanand Shetty, Sudhir Shetty and other Bharatiya Janata Party councillors expressed concern over the poor financial position of the corporation. Mr. Shetty said that as the corporation was not in a position to clear dues of contractors for the last 14 months, contractors were not taking up development works in several areas in the city.
Mr. Bhaskar said that he was trying hard to get grants from the Chief Minister. “I am trying to get special funds to ensure that works in all wards are taken up before elections (for the new council). We will also make use of the funds available under Premium FAR. Dues will be cleared in a week,” he said.
Mr. Nazir said that part of the dues concerning civil works will be cleared once property tax is collected in March.
When councillors Appi and Mr. Premanand expressed the need to join the two 350-square foot flats and allot them to each one of the pournakarmikas in the residential apartment coming up in Mahakalipadpu, Mr. Nazir said that this will be done only if the State government gives approval and sanctions additional funds.
