Name of the project: eCity (AMC)

Department under which the project was taken: Revenue Department, Government of Gujarat

Objectives:

• Provide better services to CITIZENS of Ahmedabad
• Provide easy access to the information
• Eliminate discretionary human interface
• Reduce files, process data and make the decision making processes faster
• Raise resources for AMC

Features:

• Citizen can avail services from any counter in any of the centers
• Help Desk fully equipped with necessary documents, forms and other assistance
• Speedy delivery of services
• Trained operator for providing services
• Necessary provision of allied services
• Services can be provided beyond office hours

Other distinctive features / accomplishments of the project :

• The three tier architecture restrict the access of public to the application and main servers. The intermediate Linux server installed between web server and main frame server prevent the access of internet users to access intranet applications. Further, adequate fire walls at every entry stage ensure full security to the system.
• Physical data back ups at six locations. (DR sites)
• WAN Connectivity across all departments thru’ 50 lease lines and LAN covering 1500 clients.
• Fully automated system requiring minimum high skill technical persons.
• No. of transactions from citizens increased by 5 times.
• Tax collection increased from 38% in 2002 to 80% in 2007-08!

Project Description:

Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation is the first Municipal Corporation in India to facilitate better performance of the delivery of municipal services like birth and death registration, building plan, primary health and education, city cleanliness, water supply, sewage, road, street-lights, parks and garden through e-governance to the 36 Lacs citizens of the city. For this Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has established six City Civic Centers located in five zones of Ahmedabad city and also created forty-three ward civic offices all these interconnected via intranet/ Internet connectivity. AMC has endeavored that a Citizen need not to come to Municipal Office for paying any fee/ taxes which he can pay through net/bank/ cyber café. All this information is available on our website www.egovamc.com so that 24-hour remote access to AMC transactions and services are available.

Now at the click of the button, the citizens are able to see the property dues pertaining to them as on that moment or can access their birth and death record to check their entries. The Citizens are also able to look at the Infrastructural works being taken up in the Corporation while contractors are able to access the various tender notices alive at that moment. A builder can check the status of disposal of the building application made by him while citizens are able to track the status of disposal of the complaints or grievances made by them through the internet or through the Civic Center or in person.

The Web Site also gives online information related to the information as to how the property tax is arrived at, related procedures and government rules, building rules, regulations etc. There are so many information is available on our website like NRI directory, AMC Balance sheet, Voters list etc.The web site also carry linkages to the office Internet for the management, allowing them to gain access to it from any where by using their specific password.

CITY CIVIC CENTRE - A ONE STOP CIVIC SHOP

Not everybody in the country like ours has access to internet or much more so has the knowledge of computers. To mitigate this, the project decided to establish six computerized City Civic Centers which act as an outlet for citizens to have access to the civic services. The Civic Center has string of computers on the network and allows citizens to avail facilities like payment of property taxes, getting a death/birth certificates, file a water tap/ drainage connection request, apply & get building plan approval, lodge a complaint/grievance related to property taxes or sanitation, make miscellaneous payments and everything which requires physical presence and can't be transacted on the net through website.

AS the Civic Center is on the network and connected to the main server which in turn is connected through the global internet protocol, the citizens can track the status of their application later on through the Corporation Website. For doing so, a unique registration number is allotted to every applicant, which can be later used to track the status. The system also helps system managers and corporation management to carry out internal monitoring about the disposal and redressal of such applications putting paid to any chance of delay, harassment leading to nepotism and corruption. The operation of the City Civic Center have also been connected to the web thereby bringing in transparency about the number of applications received and the concerned department to which they relate.

It's only a beginning as the areas where technology can make governments do their job better are endless. The gains are palpable, citizens are getting used to it considering the hits the site is getting. With Internet kiosks spreading all over, this can really become a harbinger for uniting the communities and making them feel better.

List of Existing City Civic Centers:

City Civic Center Location
Zone	City Civic Center
West	Law Garden, City Civic Center
	Usamanpura, City Civic Center
	Vasna, City Civic Center
	Nava Vadaj, City Civic Center
North	Naroda, City Civic Center
	Naroda Muthia, City Civic Center
	Sardar Nagar, City Civic Center
	Saraspur, City Civic Center
South	Rambaug, City Civic Center
	ISANPUR, City Civic Center
	Bage firdosh, City Civic Center
East	Rakhial, City Civic Center
	Viratnagar, City Civic Center
Central	Sardar Baug, City Civic Center
	Girdhar Nagar, City Civic Center
	Relief Road, City Civic Center
	Kalupur, City Civic Center
Head Office	Danapith, City Civic Center
Bodakdev	Bodakdev, City Civic Center
Vejalpur	Vejalpur, City Civic Center
Memnagar	Memnagar, City Civic Center
Ranip	Ranip
Vastrapur	Vastrapur
Chandlodia	Chandlodia
Ghatlodia	Ghatlodia
Jodhpur	Jodhpur
Bank Locations
KCB	KALUPUR COMMERCIAL BANK

 

Details of Services offered:

 

At present following services are offered at each City Civic Center:

 

• Registration of Complaints
• Instant Issuance of Building Plan Permissions
• Payments of All Municipal Dues (Property Tax, Professional Tax and TDO fees etc.)
• Registration & Issuance of Birth and Death Certificate
• Issuance of Licenses for Shops and Establishments, Hoarding fee.
• Information on Infrastructure Projects and Tenders
• Issuance of Health and Hawker’s Licenses
• Right to Information Application Received
• Collection of Property Tax Application and Complaints
• Pro Rata Charges (PRC Connection) water meter

 

Benefits:

Though the project is just an effort to leverage the benefits of ICT to the Citizen at large, as are other ICT projects, the following are perceived as the particular benefits of the pilot project:

• Transparency to the citizens
• Information & Accountability at the finger tips both for the citizens as well as employees of the Corporation
• Increase in revenue for the Corporation

Result Achieved/Value delivered to beneficiary of the project :

• Citizen can visit any one location irrespective of where he/she lives.
• AMC is more responsive and transparent.
• Higher revenue and better cash flow.
• Chances of corruption are eliminated.
• Accountability is at each stage.
• 24 hour internet/intranet access for AMC information.
• Better understanding and goodwill from citizens.

 

Award Received:

1	Govt. of India's National Awards for e Governance 2008-09 Exemplary horizontal Transfer of ICT-based Best Practice GOLD Award to " E- City ", Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, e-Governance Department, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
2	International Best Practices-2004 Community Service Revolution City Civic Center & E Governance Ahmedabad By International City/Country Manager's Association Washington DC 2004