MCD Is Bang On WWW Initiative, But Online Service Still A Far Cry

Posted: Monday, Mar 10, 2003 at 0000 hrs IST
Updated: Monday, Mar 10, 2003 at 0000 hrs IST

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New Delhi: : The World Wide Web initiative in the capital’s civic circles, a rather recent drive, will take time to qualify as an online achievement. At best, it is an informative website, preparing you to face the ground realities. Welcome to www.mcdonline.gov.in.

At the launch of Delhi Municipal Corporations’s (MCD) website a few days ago, Delhi’s chief minister Sheila Dikshit had said that MCD’s march towards e-governance would showcase the use of information technology. Its objective: Bringing transparency and improvement of services for the public.

Although the citizen service bureau (CSB) connected to the site has been opened in three zones—central, south and west. In another three to four months, all the 12 zones and the Town Hall are expected to be linked to MCD’s website. Although at the launch, MCD commissioner Rakesh Mehta had said that online payment for various services would be possible with credit card, it is yet to happen.

Reacting to recent media criticism that MCD’s e-governance is marred by bureaucratic tangles, MCD deputy commissioner DS Pandit told eFE that the allegations are baseless. The charge levelled against MCD was that services such as booking of community centres are cumbersome, even after the launch of the e-governance project, with applicants having to submit affidavits and proof of identity at MCD offices. But said Mr Pandit that the documents are part of the procedure and have to be submitted physically. Also, he added that wherever signatures are needed, one has to be present at the centre.

It is clear that MCD’s e-governance initiative is not online in the real sense of the word. Even in the case of online payment for services such as booking of community centres and parks, modalities for payment gateway are still to be tied up.

So, how is the e-initiative of any help? Log on to the MCD site and you’ll know. It gives you information, such as who is eligible for applying for a trade licence, and where to apply for one. Then, in case of application sent through the Internet, where should the necessary documents be submitted? Also, there’s a whole range of information on health such as birth and death registrations and health trade licensing. Similarly, in the horticulture category, one can book parks on the Net, and in community services, halls can be reserved online. But only up to an extent. For, the physical queue for signatures and collection are very much a part of...

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