Digitalization of the Sand Supply Chain.

Introduction:

The Sand Supply Chain Management project, developed by NIC, is the strategic administrative reform initiative of WBMDTCL leveraging state-of-the-art modern technology to achieve the government’s mandate to render better EoDB services.

Problem:

WBMDTCL had been operating on legacy manual-based systems, using antiquated procedures that had not been changed for decades. It displayed typical hallmarks of an inefficient, over-bureaucratic organization. Processes involved in handling service requests were cumbersome and time-consuming. Multi-level movement of physical applications plagued with red-tapism leading to time and cost overrun.

Solution:

WBMDTCL introduced a Sand Supply Chain Management System, an ICT driven process reengineering initiative for end-to-end tracking of sand mining and its intra and inter-state movement through a robust mechanism for digitization of sand mining blocks, lessee and vehicle registration, e-collection of royalty and fees, e-issuance of excavation permits and road-challans. The project is an online and mobile app-aided solution to empower the government with enhanced enforcement and regulatory capabilities.

Outcomes:

The Sand Supply Chain Management project, while greatly reducing service delivery time for the WBMDTCL, has provided better enforcement against illegal sand mining, efficient EoDB resulting in arresting revenue leakages, and enhancement in revenue collection. The e-initiative of WBMDTCL has enabled unified online communication among all government officials across the state, all lessees, administrative departments, and other stakeholders through workflow-based systems. 

Challenges:

It was challenging to bring a paradigm shift in providing services to the stakeholders in the line of ease-of-doing-business from prevailing manual system to online portal. Along with challenges in imparting training and capacity building, the project faced challenges due to poor IT awareness and different supply chain processes, different formats of e-challans in different districts across the state

Innovation:

From the very outset, a strategic approach was taken of disassociation and integration. WBMDTCL developed mobile apps to facilitate geotagging of sand blocks, enforcement, real-time status reports, the online collection of royalties, and fees.

Opportunities:

The WBMDTCL plans to make the portal a one-stop solution for online approval of mining plans, environment clearance, CTO/CTE, and other statutory approvals. Additionally, it intends to replicate the project for minor minerals coming under the purview of WBMDTCL.

Summary:

Through the successful implementation of the project, West Bengal has created a business-friendly, ecologically sensitive, and transparent legal mining environment in the state through strategic digital interventions which have proved to be a cost-effective solution for the empowerment of the Government and for ease of doing business (EoDB).