The Kerala Water Authority (KWA), which has found solace in a temporary server for bill payment after the process had come to a standstill a couple of months ago, is planning to revamp the billing system with a new server and software.
KWA Managing Director A. Kowsigan told The Hindu that the process was in its initial stages with details of hardware specifications getting listed. It is an issue identified for action, he said. The customer database server at the State Data Centre, Technopark, had developed a serious snag, and the KWA had sought help from the IT Mission to identify the problem. The services were connected with another temporary server then.
Meanwhile, senior KWA officials told The Hindu that while the functioning of the temporary server was not satisfactory, it was possible to get routine business done. At times, it used to be a little slow affecting bill payments, they said.
The software for KWA’s online services developed internally will also be overhauled by an internal team to make the service agency function better, a senior KWA official told The Hindu.
The KWA is working towards more transparency with effective online services, he said. The interface with customers will be more direct for all services for which customers will have to pay only the prescribed amount on the website. This is a step towards cracking down on corruption, the official added.
Corruption charges against licensed plumbers and officials in sub-division offices, which are responsible for providing water connections, are common. Customers with proper documents will not be denied connections, the official said.