Centre awards PUDA chief administrator for innovative mobile app

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 13

The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on Wednesday awarded Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) Chief Administrator Ravi Bhagat for his innovation to develop a mobile application to track unauthorised constructions and colonies in the state.

The award, ‘Gems of Digital India’, was presented during a special function held in New Delhi this afternoon.

The Centre had awarded bureaucrats from across the country for the path-breaking initiatives taken in the field of e-governance.

Bhagat had developed the PUDA-UCIC (Unauthorised Constructions Illegal Colonies) mobile application recently to check the menace of unauthorised constructions and colonies in the state. The app acts as an online watchdog.

Through this app, the field staff can upload pictures of illegal colonies online, which would then through satellite and geo tagging, provide the details of the location such as khasra number, mustil number (revenue record) and land use, which alert the officials concerned through e-mail, prompting quick action to stop the ongoing illegal construction on the land. The app was made available in public domain also which intends that the public after downloading the app on their mobile phones, can share any activity pertaining to the illegal constructions and colonies noticed by them with the department.

Since its launch, the app has proved to be quite effective as about 300 complaints against unauthorised constructions and colonies across the state have been registered through the app and necessary action on maximum complaints, which includes issuance of notices and demolition, have been taken.

“IT initiatives of the department aimed at public good have been recognised from time to time as last year the ‘mpuda’ mobile application was given the SKOCH Order of Merit Award. The PUDA-UCIC award has also been selected for the SKOCH Order of Merit Award which would be conferred in New Delhi on June 22,” said a top functionary.

Additional Chief Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, and Financial Commissioner Revenue, Vini Mahajan, lauded the efforts of the IT team and said more innovations related to the field of the IT were on the agenda to provide hassle-free services to residents of the state.