Ludhiana: The cost of councillors’ electronic makeover is out. The municipal corporation (MC) is set to ditch its heavy reliance on paperwork in favour of a Rs 1.19-cr digital overhaul, becoming the first civic body in Punjab to adopt the ‘e-Nigam’ system.However, with a steep learning curve and a rising budget, some wonder if the transition to “E-Nigam” will be a smooth digital future or a technical migraine for veteran councillors. The initiative will see 132 tablets (iPads) distributed to councillors, MLAs, and senior officials to facilitate paperless house and finance and contracts committee (F and CC) meetings. Each piece of the gadget will cost more than Rs 89,000.
While officials initially hoped for a Feb launch, the system is now expected to debut during the critical annual budget meeting in March. The transition aims to mirror the digital workflow of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, creating a permanent online archive of civic records and streamlining the approval process for city projects.The project’s budget has seen several upward revisions since it was first approved in late 2025. From the initial estimate of Rs 1 crore, it went into the proposal phase of a addition of Rs 9 lakh before the final revised estimate that added Rs 19 lakh to the initial Rs 1 crore. The increased funding, approved by the chief engineer, covers the procurement of hardware and the technical infrastructure required to link 15 different civic branches into a single digital ecosystem.Despite the high-tech upgrade, MC officials admit the transition won’t be seamless. Beyond the hardware, the civic body faces a significant human challenge: Employees across 15 branches must be trained to create digital resolutions and convert them into virtual meeting agendas. Officials noted that several veteran councillors, unfamiliar with tablet technology, will require specialized training to navigate the new interface. Login IDs for all councillors are being generated currently to ensure that future administrative sanctions can be processed entirely online.The move has received rare bipartisan support. During a general house meeting on February 9, opposition councillors pressured the administration to expedite the tablet rollout, complaining that receiving bulky physical agendas at the last minute makes it “impossible” to scrutinise spending. “This is very important to save money on paper and printing,” said Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar. “Technology will ensure a quick response. Currently, we wait for hard copies of approvals; once sanctions come online, it will be a major time-saver.”While the upfront cost is significant, the MC is betting on long-term administrative efficiency over immediate cash recovery. MSID:: 128208146 413 |
