The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike has developed an in-house app for its health inspectors and medical officers to levy fines on those found to be using banned plastic items. The civic body is mulling over launching it as a pilot in two or three wards in a couple of zones later this month.
According to senior officials, the app will help the health department officials to levy fines on the spot. They will be able to take a photo of the banned item.
The app will generate a challan online, which will also be sent to the offender, besides recording it in the database. The unique feature of the app is that it will have a drop-down option with the fines. This means that the health officials need not use their discretion while levying the fines.
The civic body had earlier announced that it would procure hand-held devices to levy on-the-spot fines. This was towards better implementation of the plastic ban in the city. However, officials admitted that there has been a delay in getting these hand-held devices.
“It may take a month or so to finalise the model that will suit the BBMP’s requirements. Post that, we will have to look at the different price factors and float a tender for procurement,” they said.
BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) D. Randeep told The Hindu that since levying fines is an important aspect to assess compliance under Swach Sarveskshan, the BBMP is mulling over using the app. The app, he added, still needs a nod from BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad. While the final aim is to get the hand-held devices to levy fines, the civic body would use the app in the interim. “We feel the app is a good alternative to have in place, as it is more cost effective. At a later point, we may consider integrating the software,” he stated.
