Info about civic projects available on two websites

Two websites now provide detailed information about road, footpath, streetlight and other civic projects in progress in Bengaluru.

The first site, called the ‘BNP Portal for Transparency’, was launched in September by a new political party called the Bengaluru NavaNirmana Paksha (BNP).

All ward-level projects approved in the last five years can be seen here. Choosing your ward takes you to a page where the projects are listed.  From the name of the contractor to the budget, all details are available.

“It is difficult to get information. We put together a team of interns to pull out information, one project at a time,” says Srikanth Narasimhan, BNP general secretary. He says citizens should be able to access information without having to file an RTI petition.

BBMP initiative

The second, named Citizen View, was launched by BBMP Administrator Gaurav Gupta and Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad on Saturday.

Users are provided with three options – ‘Road history GIS view’, ‘BBMP works bill view’, and ‘Administrator proceedings’.

Citizens can fine-tune their search based on the ward number, division, or contractor.

Metrolife carried out a reality check to find out how the sites work.

User 1

Photographs help

The BNP portal is user-friendly and easier to navigate than Citizen View. However, the details are limited. Project names are vague. Some just mention the ward number and no definite location. On the plus side, it lists more projects than the BBMP portal.

The latter has more details. Even when project names are vague, but photos in the ‘all details’ section help find the exact location. In some places, only blank sheets are scanned and uploaded. The BBMP portal has a section to give feedback on each project. Some links don’t open.

We checked the status of the asphalting work being carried out in Eshwara Layout, in Jogupalya ward. While all details were found on the BNP site, the listed order date seemed to be wrong as the work in the area began much earlier. The project could not be found on the BBMP site. 

User 2

Chowdeshwari snapshot

On the BBMP platform, only one subsection, ‘Road History GIS view’, offers information in English. The rest are in Kannada. The option to change the page into English is available but difficult to find.

The BNP website offers Kannada and English options. However, clicking on ‘Kannada’ fetches a page with only a subhead. The rest of the information is in English.

We checked for projects in the Chowdeshwari ward, the information was displayed without any order on the Citizen View website and there is no option to arrange according to date.

However, on the BNP portal, the details were better and there was an option to see the projects in chronological order and easily access projects not yet executed.

User 3

Lighting in Shantinagara

We checked for Shantinagara ward. The BNP portal lists key details clearly. For example, searching for lighting projects yields seven projects. Work order date, project number, date of execution and the budget are clearly stated.

It’s not easy to navigate the BBMP portal, one would naturally press the first option of Road history GIS view where only ‘Old Work’ subhead menus are enabled.

The dropdowns work like a Google map for BBMP facilities in the area. When you go to the BBMP works bill view site, it lets you view the projects.

A notable difference is that on the BBMP site the ward name is spelt as Shanti Nagar.

User 4

Horamavu overview

This user checked both platforms for Horamavu. According to the BNP platform, approved projects for 2020 stand at Rs 237 crore, while the current expenditure stands at Rs 94 crore.

Work is being undertaken in phases on the construction of culverts and drains, providing drinking water and street lights, and asphalting of roads and footpaths. 

Many projects are listed, including the restoration, resurfacing and comprehensive development of roads.

The estimated costs, date of issue of work order, expenses are also clearly provided. 

The BBMP site does not provide an overview of the expenditure or approved projects. the navigation takes more time but they provide an FAQ on how to use the platform.

Site names

-BNP Citizen Portal for Transparency

-BBMP Citizen View