The Kozhikode city corporation on Monday signed an agreement with the Bengaluru-based e-Governments Foundation and the Malabar Chamber of Commerce (MCC) to set up an automated intelligent software that will fast-track the process of issuing building permits.
Corporation Secretary Mrunmai Joshi, e- Governments Foundation CEO Viraj Tyaji and MCC president P.V. Nidheesh signed the deal on Monday to develop the software for the city within six months. The MCC will fund the ₹40-lakh pilot project, and if successful, it will be implemented across the State.
The Regional Town Planning Office will function as the nodal office. The software project will help curtail corruption and avert delays in approving building permits and encourage e-governance programme of the State government.
Task force formed
Regional Town Planner K.V. Abdul Malik said an eight-member task force involving technicians and engineers and an e-governance sub-committee drawn from the corporation’s consultative committee had been formed for the purpose of initiating the project.
The project will be put on a trial run for a month to fix any bugs in the software and will be executed in full swing in the corporation. A file-tracking system and SMS notification for document verification and site examination would be incorporated in the software, he said.
e-Governments Foundation had conceived projects for urban governance bodies to manage, monitor and interact in a transparent manner. It has already entered into an agreement with Karnataka government to implement e-Governance solutions in 57 towns in that State. Besides, it has contracts with the Director of Municipal Administration, Andhra Pradesh, New Delhi Municipal Council and Nagpur Municipal Corporation.
