Indian Citizens' / Netizens' Forum

[Indian]

http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/feb52006/state20108

Sunday, February 5, 2006

Smart cards find way into Hubli-Dharwad Corporation

From Shyam Sundar Vattam DH News Service Hubli:

Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation is all set to become the first Corporation in the State to introduce smart card system for various activities as part of computerisation.

Once in place, there will be no scope for tampering with records or mysterious disappearance of important files.

Smart card is a new technology wherein each employee will be given a card programmed with a set of files pertaining to his/her department. The files cannot be accessed through computer without using the Smart card. Each employee is given separate 18 digit secret code followed by individual password for accessing files. There are 12 zonal offices in Hubli and Dharwad cities and each office will be given two computers which will have details of property tax, issue of birth/death certificates, management information system and attendance with payroll.

On an experimental basis, already 25 such Smart cards were in use and over next one month, all the 800 odd employees will be issued such cards.

With the help of the Smart card, the user could access files of the areas under that particular zone and make entries only in his/her respective files or make changes. The Smart card of one zone cannot be operated in the terminals of other wards and, hence, there is no scope for tampering with the files.

Punctuality register

Explaining the features of Smart card system, HDMC Commissioner P Manivannan told Deccan Herald that a similar system is being applied for marking attendance of the entire staff. The attendance files will be kept open between 10 am to 10:30 am only and it would close automatically thereafter. Late-comers would have no option, but to leave.

All the bills and letters received everyday had to be stored in computers before 5 pm compulsorily. The computer automatically closes if the card is removed. The data is stored in two master servers and there is no scope for tampering. The process is on for total elimination of paper files and make the corporation paper-free in the coming months.

Data bank

The computers had been configured in such a way that the number of properties in each zone, types of buildings, property value, percentage of exemption for places of worship, total due, date of payment and other details will be displayed on the screen. Even khata certificates will be issued in a day. Except for three years, all the details of births/deaths since 1961 had been stored in master server and copies could be obtained on-line.
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