Even while the state government is planning to empower all local bodies in Kerala with more and more online services from July 1, Kochi corporation is unable to provide any online services. The tussle between the civic body and TCS, the agency which has been instructed with implementation of the corporation’s e-governance project, has resulted in stalling even a few online services available with the local body for the past couple of months.
Government has started measures for implementing Integrated Local Governance Management System, which is a comprehensive software system for providing e-governance services, in all local bodies from July 1. Government started the move in the wake of restrictions as part of Covid- control measures. But, corporation authorities haven’t started any steps to facilitate the services. “We haven’t got any information regarding starting new services,” an official with the corporation said.
Meanwhile, corporation authorities are unable sort out the issues with TCS. The authorities couldn’t get the secure socket layer (SSL), a security technology which expired in March, thereby posing threat of the local body’s data being hacked.
Though the renewal of SSL is a simple process which requires less than an hour, the corporation is unable to do it even after a month. If the public access the website, they will have to tread an unsafe mode. “The lackadaisical attitude of the corporation authorities has led to the situation,” said V P Chandran, secretary, LDF parliamentary party, corporation. “The civic body authorities failed to get e-governance project implemented even after more than a decade. Kochi corporation will be the only local body in the state where new online services planned by the state government will not be available,” Chandran sad.
According to corporation authorities, it is the lockdown that came in the way of renewing SSL. “We have placed the file for getting corporation council’s permission for renewal of SSL. In February, finance standing committee had cleared the file. Immediately after placing the file for the consideration of the council, lockdown was announced. Though a meeting of the council was held after that, only issues of utmost importance were considered,” an official with corporation said “The council meeting to be held soon is expected to give nod for the renewal,” the official said.
Even after almost one-and-a-half decades since starting the work on e-governance project, corporation is yet to get it completed. In 2011, corporation entrusted TCS with the implementation project of the local body. As per the agreement, the project should have completed within 52 weeks. Despite giving extensions several times, TCS haven’t handed over all the modules to Corporation. While TCS claims that they have completed all the 22 modules, only four modules such as birth, death, marriage and town hall booking are the modules which are operational.
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Quelle/Source: The Times of India, 28.05.2020
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