Mumbai:

Mumbai civic body may ditch paper for digital agendas to cut costs and waste

BJP corporator from Colaba, Makarand Narwekar has written to BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, demanding paperless agendas and minutes for House proceedings, as well as statutory and special committee meetings.

Tablets and Laptops for Corporators

In his April 23 letter to the BMC chief, corporator Narwekar stated that the transition to digital agendas would drastically reduce paper consumption and save thousands of pages each week, adding that to facilitate this shift, he supports the provision of tablets or laptops to all corporators, along with secure email access to proposals and official documents.

This will eliminate the need for physical delivery of documents to corporators' doorsteps, thereby cutting costs, promoting environmental sustainability, and streamlining administrative processes. Making these agendas and minutes publicly available on the BMC website will enhance transparency, enabling citizens effortless access and hold the administration accountable, Narwekar said.

For matters requiring confidentiality, individual login credentials can be created to ensure controlled access while maintaining data security. Going paperless will further improve transparency and encourage citizen participation, he added.