KMC introduces online services to expedite administrative work

In a bid to provide more facilities to people, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has introduced hassle free online services to expedite administrative work.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee has introduced a unique service by which a person will be able to know the location and addresses of pay and use toilets in the city after downloading the KMC app.

The civic authorities have constructed pay and use toilets in all the 144 wards under its jurisdiction. This has reduced open defecation to a great extent in the city. The initiative was taken by Chatterjee when he first became the Mayor in 2010. In the slum areas the pay in toilets has helped to change the habit of the residents. It may be recalled that the state government has taken a step to make all the districts open defecation free by 2019. Nadia has already been declared as an open defecation free district and Hooghly and North 24-Parganas will be declared soon. The KMC is considering a proposal to install bio toilets in the areas where many offices are situated like the central business district. Thousands of people come to visit the offices but most of the offices do not allow the visitors to use the toilets meant for the staffs.

The KMC has made birth certificate registration, application for drainage and sanction of building plans online. 

Registering birth was a major problem in KMC and a racket used to run the show. In late 1980s, touts used to charge anything between Rs 300 and Rs 500 to get a birth or death certificate. The applicants had to run from the pillar to post to get a copy of the birth or death certificates.

To stop this menace, KMC started to issue birth and death certificates from borough offices and crematoria or burial grounds. To give more facility, the applicants can now make applications on line and collect two copies of birth certificates free of cost from the borough offices. Similarly, application for drainage connection would be received on line. This has stopped corruption in the drainage department. The KMC will give clearance online and later the inspectors of the department will make an on the spot verification. 

It may be recalled that the building department has already started sanctioning of building plans on line in wards 6,7,9,2,12,4 and 5. Work is on to give online sanction in all the boroughs. The KMC has decided not to accept the plan for new buildings which will not be sent on line.