Pune: PCMC Leads State E-Governance Index

Pimpri, 10th January 2024: In a significant achievement, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has secured the top spot in the state in the E-Governance Index, as announced by the Policy Research Organization. The evaluation was conducted based on three key criteria: service, transparency, and availability.

Notably, PCMC outperformed other major municipal corporations, with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation securing the second position and Kolhapur Municipal Corporation securing the third.

The E-Governance Index was meticulously crafted, taking into account the efficiency of services, transparency levels, and the accessibility of information. The evaluation utilized various platforms, including official websites, mobile applications, and social media channels.

On the availability criterion, Pune and Kolhapur, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Mumbai excelled. Regarding transparency, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mumbai, and Kolhapur emerged as leaders. In terms of service criteria, the Municipal Corporations of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mumbai, Pune, and Kolhapur stood out.

When evaluating the availability of information, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Mumbai, Amravati, Kolhapur, and Pune were identified as the best performers. In terms of mobile deployment, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Brihanmumbai, Amravati, Kolhapur, and Pune were recognized for their outstanding efforts.

On the social media front, Vasai Virar, Ulhasnagar, Thane, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Nashik, Mumbai, Kolhapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Amravati claimed the top positions.

The report highlighted a positive trend in the overall progress of e-governance among municipal corporations. Kolhapur Municipal Corporation, in particular, demonstrated significant improvement, climbing from the 14th position in the first year to the third position in the latest evaluation.

However, the report also pointed out some challenges. Twelve out of 27 Municipal Corporations lacked the facility to file RTI applications online, including Ahmednagar, Akola, Bhiwandi-Nizampur, Nashik, Solapur, Vasai-Virar, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Chandrapur, Kalyan-Dombivali, Latur, Mira Bhayandar, and Nanded-Waghala municipalities.

The study revealed some notable observations. Several municipal corporation websites appeared closed during the study, and discrepancies were found in the information provided. Issues such as outdated information, incorrect contact details, and the use of unofficial domains were also identified. Additionally, a few corporations were noted to have multiple social media pages with different website addresses.

The report raised concerns about the lack of mobile deployment in eight Municipal Corporations and zero scores on social media criteria for seven municipal corporations, indicating a need for improvement in these areas.