Bihar’s UDHD plans centralised web portal to streamline delivery of civic amenities

PATNA: The urban development and housing department (UDHD) has proposed setting up an integrated web portal to streamline the delivery mechanism of civic amenities across all urban local bodies (ULBs) in the state, said a senior officer familiar with the process on Monday .

According to the officer, the software-based web portal, named UPYOG (Urban Platform for deliverY of Online e-Governance), is being designed under the national urban digital mission and citizens will be able to access it by March-April this year.

Officials said that once the portal is launched, people will not need to frequent the concerned ULBs for assessing their property tax and deposit the same, assessment for a trade license and pay it, submission and approval of the building plans, application for water and sewerage connection, no-objection for construction, etc.

“Everything will be done online and the applications will be monitored from the headquarter to ensure timely and adequate action,” said the officer, adding that the department has invited the expression of interest from reputed firms to build a robust software to run various type of responsive windows,” said an information technology (IT) manager, seeking anonymity, adding that the process of selection might end by the month-end.

The web portal will be linked with all 264 ULBs, including 19 municipal corporations, 89 municipal councils, and 155 Nagar panchayats through a high-speed broadband link for real-time response. “People will also have the option to lodge complaints against delay in delivery of any type of service, which includes cleanliness, spraying of DDT and fogging of melathion, maintenance of street lights, repair of roads and drainage, pugging manholes, etc. There will be a public hearing on contentious issues of mass interest to resolve it,” said the officer.

In the next phase of upgradation, all the ULBs will have their own web portals, consisting of windows to deal with legal issues, scheme management system, MIS and reporting system, solid waste management, sanitation and health, and assets management system. “There will be centralised helpdesk to resolve the issues on a priority basis. Every complaint or demand will be allotted a distinctive number to monitor their status,” said the IT manager.