Terming the e-governance project of the Kochi Corporation a non-starter, the Opposition walked out of the council meeting on Monday, alleging that people were being denied even basic services like issuance of birth, death or marriage certificate or building permit.
The project, for which Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) had been awarded the contract, dates back to 2011. The present council too had renewed the contract twice. Though an online service was launched some time ago, a disruption downed it recently, and it has not been rectified yet, the Opposition said.
Alleging corruption and demanding a comprehensive inquiry into the delay in project implementation, they raised slogans outside the council hall. Leader of the Opposition K.J. Antony and CPI(M) councillor V.P. Chandran said corruption and bureaucratic apathy had delayed the project by more than eight years.
“People have to wait for long hours at the corporation office to get certificates. Kochi is the only municipal corporation in the State without online delivery of services,” Mr. Antony alleged. Incidentally, TCS also backed out of the project citing failure on the part of the corporation to renew the annual maintenance contract.
The Opposition pointed out that e-governance, which was to be commissioned in 54 months in accordance with the agreement, could not be implemented even after eight years. The corporation has handed over nearly ₹4.94 crore to TCS, it said. The present council had extended the contract of TCS twice over the last two years, in February 2017 and March 2018. However, the project still remains incomplete, Mr. Chandran said.
Though the corporation secretary informed the council that efforts were on to restore basic services, the Opposition members said countered it, saying that the official was attempting to misguide the council.
Replying to the debate, Mayor Soumini Jain displayed a marriage certificate issued by Janaseva Kendra and said a few services were still available. However, she added that much remained to be done. According to the Mayor, the reasons for the delay include the absence of an IT officer with technical expertise in the civic body. She said the corporation was yet to quantify the work done by TCS. Besides, a delay in giving work orders also seems to have added on, she said.
Ms. Jain said the services of an IT officer was crucial in expediting the project. She added that it was too late in the day to hand over the contract to the Information Kerala Mission as things would have to be studied and worked on all over again, and that the process would add on to the corporation’s financial burden.
However, owing to the model code of conduct, instead of appointing an IT officer, the work will have to be outsourced, said Ms. Jain.