Poor implementation hits civic body’s mobile computer literacy programme

“The civic body purchased six buses installed with computers under the scheme. Four buses are operational while two are parked in the vehicle depot. We are awaiting demand from the elected representatives for using the bus for training,” said Vilas Kanade,deputy municipal commissioner,in-charge of Urban Community Development department of PMC.

Each bus costing Rs 20 lakh has 14 computers installed for training 28 persons at a time. The idea was to reach out to poor citizens who are unable to afford the fees for computer courses conducted by private institutes.

There are times when the buses remain unused as there is no defined procedure for implementing the scheme.

To start the scheme in November last year,the general body passed a resolution that the buses should be allotted to wards represented by office-bearers,that is the mayor,deputy mayor,leader of house,leader of Opposition,chairman of standing committee and city improvement committee. Accordingly,the four buses at present are in the wards represented by the then office-bearers Rajlaxmi Bhosale,Chandrakant Mokate,Anil Bhosale and Bapu Pathare.

Mayor Mohansigh Rajpal said since there were few takers for the scheme as few corporators were showing interest in taking the scheme forward in their wards. “I had recently called an all-party meeting and urged the leaders to ensure that at least one bus is made operational in their wards,” he said.

Leader of Opposition Ulhas Bagul said not many leaders were coming forward to make the bus functional in their wards due to high operational expenses. He added,“I had sought permission for a bus to be made operational in my ward but there was opposition from other leaders who said I was not the leader of Opposition when the scheme was launched.” Civic officers said the scheme was not yielding results as it was being executed by elected representatives. “The scheme will yield good results if the civic administration was given freedom in its execution. The buses have to be taken to areas with large poor population,” said one of them.