To ensure its work isn’t hampered and physical distance is maintained amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) has upgraded its operations digitally. It will soon streamline the process of allotment of rooms to its beneficiaries, one of its main duties, through the development of the online system.
SRA's job is to take care of Mumbai's slum redevelopment projects, wherein affected eligible slum dwellers are provided new homes in a rehabilitation building. It also allocates surplus houses obtained from builders to project affected people (PAP). However, the distribution of houses to tenants is done physically, either by calling them to the office or by conducting a meeting. Due to the pandemic, this process has been significantly affected. Therefore, the authority has been looking for an agency that can develop an application to accept the forms online from tenants in a bid to streamline the allotment of rooms to SRA tenants.
Interested agencies will be able to submit bids till May 31. Also, an earnest money deposit (EMD) of Rs 70,000 must be paid to participate in the said tendering process.
The Free Press Journal had extensively reported how SRA has been adopting digital ways to do its job efficiently even in this crucial time. In the last one year, SRA has begun working on improving its age old methods, such as conducting public hearing through video conferencing. As many of the SRA tenants may not have proper internet connection or a place to participate in the conference, arrangements have been made at the SRA headquarters to cater to their needs. The decision to develop an AutoDCR software, on the lines of BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), to approve building plans was also taken.