Now Reading: BMC plans Rs 6 crore tablets for corporators, oppn slams
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BMC plans Rs 6 crore tablets for corporators, oppn slams
BMC plans to provide 13-inch tablets to all 237 corporators, senior officials and committee heads as part of a digitisation push, with an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore. Physical copies of…
The Story in Brief
BMC plans to provide 13-inch tablets to all 237 corporators, senior officials and committee heads as part of a digitisation push, with an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore. Physical copies of agendas will continue during the transition, BJP group leader Ganesh Khankar said.
Opposition leaders including Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Kishori Pednekar questioned the need, saying most corporators already have smartphones. Khankar defended the move, saying it aims to gradually shift to a paperless system. The BMC is also exploring a voice-to-text system for House proceedings. Pednekar cited the civic body's declining fixed deposits and questioned other recent expenditure proposals.
The Indian Opinion
Both sides have a point. The Rs 6 crore outlay is not trivial for a city with pressing infrastructure needs. But digitisation can save money on printing and transport over time. The real test is whether the tablets actually reduce paper consumption within a year, or if they become just another expensive gadget gathering dust. Will the BMC publish a report on cost savings after the transition?
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, indiatvnews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
