NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has directed mandatory geo-tagging of all civil work-related projects of Delhi government departments to curb corruption, cost escalation and delay in execution, according to a statement by the Raj Niwas.
It will also be mandatory for contractors to upload pictures of project sites before and after completion on the IT department’s portal for evaluation. Payments will be made to them following verification by authorities, it said.
“The L-G (lieutenant governor) has made it mandatory to geo-tag each and every project on the IT department portal to curb corruption, cost escalation and inordinate delays in execution of civil works by various Delhi government departments,” the note issued on Monday said.
The directions were issued by the L-G while approving a proposal of the Directorate of Vigilance, it said. Besides geo-tagging, he also directed heads of the departments to ensure the uploading of progress reports with photographs of projects and works, mandatorily on the portal, before any payments are made, the note said.
Geo-tagging and uploading of project status online has already been implemented by several Union ministries and departments of state governments, including Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, it said.
Central government ministries are using geo-tagging in schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the MGNREGA, and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram, according to the note. The Delhi L-G issued the directions after observing that most departments were not using the portal, the note said.
The initiative will not only bring transparency, but will also be effective in checking misuse of funds and corruption, and ensuring quality and timely completion of the projects and works, it stated. Regular uploads in the form of photographs on the portal will also help in regular and timely monitoring of projects by authorities, the Raj Niwas note said.
What makes this plantation drive unique is that each of the 1 lakh pits dug up for planting the trees has been geo-tagged so that the growth of these trees can be monitored on a regular basis, both through satellite imagery as well as physical verification. One can keep actual track of their numbers, growth and maintenance.