22 August,2013 07:39 AM IST | | MiD DAY Correspondent
Yesterday, this paper carried a front page report about the BMC spending Rs 25 lakh of its annual budget on Android-based Samsung Galaxy mobiles for its corporators so they can uploads pictures of potholes on its Rs 65-lakh pothole tracking software
The report stated that only a handful of corporators are using this facility and have actually uploaded pictures of potholes. Not more than six of the 230 corporators, it has been revealed, have made use of this app. This is a disappointingly small number, given that potholes mar so many roads, especially during peak monsoon time in July.
One read reports of how potholes have caused numerous accidents and even resulted in fatalities. When phones were given for a certain purpose, one fails to see why corporators have not taken this seriously and used the app for awareness and redressal of the problem. This shows to an extent how flippant they are about a problem that is plaguing commuters and pedestrians alike.
When funds are spent for a certain purpose and technology is given so that quality of life in the city can be enhanced, it needs to be asked why corporators are not interested in using it. Excuses trotted out for not using the app were many. The civic body must now question whether giving phones to these corporators was a waste of funds. Why did corproators accept these phones and not raise objections to the system earlier?
Somebody has to take the blame for distributing these phones. Responsibility and accountability are key in pinpointing who takes the rap for wastage of money. Only stringent action will send the right message through. u00a0
