The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s online portal has been facing flak from its users for some time now over its ineffectiveness.
Its shortcomings, complainants say, are: lack of clarity; unavailability of useful information; recurring errors in major sections of the website; delayed or no response to the complaints; and unavailability of updated data.
The question that has vexed citizens and NGO’s alike is that MCGM, which boasts a budget of INR 37,000 Cr., cannot come up with a suitable online service that is equivalent to its claim of high standards.
A resident of Andheri East, Sri Ganesh, told The Hindu that for several consecutive months, Property Tax he had paid to the MCGM hasn’t been updated online. “Even after receiving a certificate of clarification from the authorities, which stated that our dues have been paid, the site did not reflect the updated invoice,” he said, adding that the online payment option faces a glitch most of the time and that his name and address is misspelled even after bringing it to the attention of authorities. Many other users also complained about their names being misspelled on the portal despite constantly notifying the authorities.
A city-based social activist, James John, claimed that complaints filed on the portal are often removed without providing any form of reply, or a reason, “which is why people do not bother going to the site anymore. It is asks you to fill several fields of information which is time consuming.” Mr. John also said that the portal does not reflect the description of work orders issued by the MCGM; it merely reflects the amount of money sanctioned to different projects. Instead, he said, “there should be a form of narration about the work order, which would give more clarity about where the money is being spent.”
The MCGM mobile app, MCGM 24x7, which offers users the ability to make online payments, renew licenses and lodge complaints, is also been receiving criticism, and not just because it is Android-only. Asif Zakaria, a BMC corporator from Bandra West, said that a function of the app that lets users upload pictures of their complaints, doesn’t function at times. “The occasional glitches in the Corporation’s servers result in the complaints not getting registered for hours on end; it results in the grievance not getting recorded altogether.”
Information Technology professional Umesh Jain said that the site’s user interface was reminiscent of the early days of the Web: “The home page is cluttered and impossible to manoeuvre. The user experience is poor, and most of the documents uploaded on the website are scanned copies of Marathi texts [i.e., image files rather than text files], which makes searching for particular text within the document not possible.”
A city-based non-profit organisation, Vcan action network, which has worked closely with the civic body, studied the web portals of MCGM and the New York City authority, compiled a list of their findings, and submitted to the MCGM. Amongst the areas of improvement recommended for the MCGM were: compliance with mobile-phones and tablets, connectivity with social platforms and the overall visual appeal of the site. Indrani Malkani, managing trustee of Vcan, told The Hindu that the portal does in fact contain all relevant and necessary information and data, but it lacks the accessibility required to assist people into seeking out things they are looking for. “Senior citizens and people who are not quite savvy with technology do not know what they are looking for on the site, which makes it difficult for them to address their queries. So the important thing [MCGM] should focus on is how they can improve the navigation system of their website.”
An RTI activist and former Chief Information Commissioner, Shailesh Gandhi told The Hindu in a reply over E-mail that being the chairman of Technical Advisory committee, which recommends transparency measures, at MCGM, he has headed over 35 meetings to get most information to be uploaded onto the website, but there have been no results. He also said that the committee has been trying to get the organisation to look at the problems from a citizen perspective, and that the MCGM has been promising a new portal since the last three years but "the will is lacking to really become transparent and deliver results." Asked about the Property Tax issue, Assistant Municipal Commissioner, BMC, Sanjog Kabare, said that he will personally speak to the complainants and come up with a solution.
An MCGM spokesperson agreed that the site is not “up-to-the mark” and assured this reporter that a new portal, which would be launched in August, will address all the issues users are currently facing.
There should be a form of narration about the work order for clarity
James JohnSocial activist
