Corporation's e-initiative comes a cropper in Hubli, Dharwad

Corporation's e-initiative comes a cropper in Hubli, Dharwad
The Hindu

HUBLI: There have been no takers for a novel procedure introduced by the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation to monitor the quality of works undertaken by contractors before their bills are cleared.

With a view to ensure transparency and quality in works executed by contractors, the corporation introduced a procedure from January under which bills presented by contractors for payment are posted on the website, hdmc.govt.in, every month.

The bills are posted between the 15th and 25th of every month giving the description of the work undertaken.

Any person can inspect the work and submit complaints, if any, about the quality of the work by calling 2213888, which is a round-the-clock helpline.

Action

On receipt of the complaint, the corporation offers to verify it before the bill is passed. It also promises to take action against the contractor or engineer concerned in case the complaints are found to be genuine.

If the complaints are registered with malafide intent, the organisations or people who submit them will be blacklisted and, if necessary, legal action will be initiated against them, it is said.

It is stipulated that the complainant should necessarily be a registered NGO or a welfare association operating in the area or the ward.

In case of a person registering the complaint, she/he has to be supported by at least three others with details of their address and telephone number.

Conditions

Only bills pertaining to asphalt work, works that cost less than Rs. 10,000, critical works, budgeted works and those taken up under welfare schemes for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are posted on the website.

Enquiries with the corporation authorities revealed that no complaint has been registered ever since the procedure started. "It could be because we have not been able to reach the message to people," an official of the corporation said.

"We will soon take steps to ensure that the message reaches as many people as possible. Also, more telephone numbers, including the mobile phone number of the Commissioner of the corporation, might be given to enable people to send their response, the corporation official added.