Smart Maha Leads with Municipal Governance

Maharashtra is the most industrialised state and has the highest GSDP in the country. The western State accounts for 14.5 per cent of India’s GDP with 9.3 per cent of the country’s total population. Maharashtra has been at the forefront of the country’s industrial and economic progress. The State has taken several pioneering steps to make government-citizen interface better and provide a business friendly environment. It has been among the frontrunner in using modern technology in governance.

Maharashtra is a Star performer in this year’s SKOCH Governance study. The State received 21 SKOCH Orders-of-Merit and 8 SKOCH Governance Award—4 Platinum and 4 Gold.

Economy

Maharashtra’s GSPD growth accelerated to 8 per cent in 2015-16 from 5.8 per cent in 2014-15, according to the State budget document for the year 2016-17. Nominal Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) at current prices for the year 2014-15 is estimated at Rs 15.72 lakh crore. Estimated per Capita State Income for 2014-15 is estimated at Rs 1,34,081 as against estimated per Capita National Income of Rs 86,879. Population of Maharashtra is highly urbanised with 45.2 per cent people residing in urban areas. The national average is around 30 per cent.

Key Achievements

Several innovative steps have been taken to improve service delivery system. Through Aaple Sarkar portal the Government provide majority of people centric services online. It provides a one-stop solution to the citizens of Maharashtra for addressing their grievances and engaging them to collaborate with the Government by providing information and suggestions to achieve “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”.

To plug leakages and ensure effective implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the Government has introduced GIS-based Asset Mapping, Monitoring and Management System (GAMMMS). The application ensures that the correct data for the specific locations is downloaded on the devise and after capturing the photographs with latlong details, the photographs with details of the assets are pushed to server and are automatically visualised on public domain through the Internet. Public Health Department has introduced e-Aushadi scheme for providing a web-based Drug Inventory Management software using the Cloud Computing. It has been implemented across the hospitals in Maharashtra. The solution provides drug management services to various district drug warehouses, district hospitals, Community Health Centers (CHC), Primary Health Centers (PHC) and Drug Distribution Centers (DDC) of Maharashtra from where the drugs are issued to the patients—the final consumers in the chain.

Municipalities have taken a number of steps to improve cleanliness and make service delivery more transparent and people friendly. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has introduced Slum Sanitation Programme that seeks to provide demand-based community toilets with an objective to end open defecation and improved health and hygiene conditions. Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NVMC) has introduced an initiative called IEBC – A3 Model (Information, Education & Behavior Change Communication – Aware Accept Act Model) with an objective to reach out to maximum population through various strategies with information, education & behavioral change communication to spread awareness.

Pune Municipal Corporation has taken pioneering steps to ensure toilets for all. Under Swachh Bharat initiative the Corporation has also introduced Pune Pattern of Ladies Public Toilets to ensure toilet facilities for women. With an objective to make Pune a zero garbage city, Pune Municipal Corporation has introduced a scheme called Pune’s Trash Solution. The Corporation has also introduced a scheme Integrating the Informal Sector in Municipal Solid Waste Management.

Thane Municipal Corporation has introduced Solar Net Metering to ensure optimum utilisation of solar power. Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they add to the grid.

With a vision of making Persons with Different Abilities contributing members of the society and empower them to live life with dignity, NVMC has set up Education, Training and Social Services Centres for PWDs. It started as a school for children with hearing impairment in 2007 and within a span of three years gains the magnitude of a centre dealing with children with disabilities (CWDs) of all disabilities with a motto to make them live life with confidence and dignity. As per the study, across the country it is the only institute, which provides all disabilities, all services for all age group and all under one roof.

Public Health Department has launched e-Aushadi programme, an advanced drug warehouse management system implemented across the hospitals in the State. The solution provides drug management services to various district drug warehouses, district hospitals, community health centers, primary health centers and drug distribution centers.

Way Forward

Maharashtra is the first State to have a dedicated e-Governance policy. The e-Governance policy was released in September 2011 with the objective to ensure standardised and seamless implementation of e-governance projects across the State, thereby encouraging interoperability, data collaboration, sharing and linkage with UID. Maharashtra is among the first states to allow online RTI requests. The facility covers almost all the departments in the states. A dedicated website also allows electronic payment of RTI fees. The process would further enhance accountability and transparency in the government.