‘Will return laptops if no software provided’

Almost two months after the civic body distributed free laptops to 232 municipal corporators as part of its paperless office initiative, the corporators are still waiting to use it for official purposes.

Almost two months after the civic body distributed free laptops to 232 municipal corporators as part of its paperless office initiative, the corporators are still waiting to use it for official purposes. The software required has not been installed.

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The civic body’s information technology (IT) department was to install ‘Yes Sir’ software in the laptops and train corporators. “Without the software, the entire prospect of uploading files online is futile. Despite being promised, there are still no kiosks to provide us information on the software,” said civic education committee chairperson Manoj Kotak.

The Rs. 7.67-crore project, which included the purchase of 232 laptops and installation of the software, was passed at the civic standing committee meeting in November 2012. The software could store details of funds allotted to a ward, amount spent by the corporators, and work orders issued in each ward. Using the software, corporators could upload letters, sent to ward officers, officials from IT department said.

Certain corporators have even threatened to return their laptops to the administration. “The civic body should have installed the software beforehand. I am wary about the credibility of this software,” said Rais Shaikh, group leader, Samajwadi Party.