Corporators to get the app to use iPads

The BBMP, towards the fag end of its term, has decided to install the ‘E-Council App’ on the iPads distributed to corporators at a cost of Rs 99 lakh.

The iPads were given to the corporators to make BBMP council proceedings paperless. The corporators could access the agenda and resolution of various meetings in the council. After the iPad scheme was announced in the 2018-19 BBMP budget in February, the civic body had given tabs to all corporators within a week — a move criticised by the public since the corporators didn’t know how to use them. Most of them didn’t even bring them to council meetings.

Now, the IT department of the BBMP will install the E-Council App in all the 198 tabs. Mayor R Sampath Raj told DH, “Moving towards a digital corporation, we have given iPads to all corporators. The BBMP IT department has developed the application and we have requested the corporators to install it on their iPads.”

“All circulars, meeting notices and proceedings, tender work status in the wards and other information will be circulated through the app. All the corporators will be given a designated email account to access the application,” he said. The BBMP had earlier planned a training session for corporators on how to use the fancy tablets, but the mayor cancelled the session. “Now they know how to use the iPads. If they find it difficult, they can take help of their colleagues or the IT department officials. Arranging a separate training session will cost money, hence we cancelled it,” Sampath Raj said.

App for the citizen

The BBMP is also planning to develop a separate E-Council application for the public. This application can be used by the citizens to track what is going on at the monthly council meeting.

The app will live-stream debates of monthly meetings. “This app, which will be available to download on their mobiles, will stream the council meetings live. This way, people can watch the meeting and also track their corporators. We are developing this app and will add more features to it,” the Mayor said.