A review of E-Governance of Municipal Corporation in Urban Local Bodies
 
Kanhaiya Jee Gond1*, Dr. Mahendra Singh Khicher2
1 Research Scholar, Sunrise University, Alwar Rajasthan, India
Email: kanhaiya@gmail.com
2 Professor, Dept.of Public Admin, Sunrise University, Alwar Rajasthan, India
Abstract - Modern states, regardless of their prevailing political ideology or national government structure, always have a system of local governance. The importance of local government cannot be minimized in any political system, whether it be a unitary or federal one, a parliamentary or presidential one. People are showing a surprising tendency toward optimism in regards to their communities' local governments. E-governance refers to the use of more minimal electronic systems in government operations, with the goal of storing, gathering, recognizing, and disseminating bandwidth and data affecting daily operations to the civilian population on demand. In this paper give review on e-governance in urban local bodies.
Keywords: E-governance, local government, political system, local bodies, urban.
INTRODUCTION
E-Governance, often known as "electronic governance," is the use of electronic communication and information systems to improve governmental operations and foster "smart" (or "simple"), "moral," "accountable," "responsive," and "transparent" (SMART) administration. Public administrators all around the globe are rapidly adopting E-government initiatives, which reimagine E-government services by leveraging the power of technology for communication and information.[1]
What we mean by "e-governance" (or "e-gov") is the use of ICTs to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of government-to-government and government-to-citizen and government-to-business interactions, as well as to give citizens and businesses more control over government decisions. The introduction of the World Wide Web in the 1990s ushered in a period of global movements toward greater use of IT by government. Both technological advancements and E-Governance efforts have gone a long way since then. More and more people have access to the Internet and mobile devices, and they are finding creative ways to use these tools. Evidence abounds that the new "E-citizenship" is gaining traction as individuals increasingly demand to use government and corporate-provided resources online in order to improve their civic, professional, and personal lives.[2]

THE CONCEPT OF E-GOVERNANCE

With an emphasis on developing internal government applications for defense, economic monitoring, planning, and the deployment of IT to manage intensive function related to elections, senses, tax administration, etc., E-Governance can be traced back to India in the 1970s. The National Informatics Center's (NIC) work in the '80s to link all of the district headquarters was groundbreaking. With a policy focus on reaching out to rural regions and incorporating increased contributions from NGOs and the business sector, ICT technologies have been supplementing IT technology from the early 1990s to broaden their usage for broader sectoral applications. There has been a rise in citizen technology's influence on the evolution of E-Governance regulations and infrastructure in under-developed nations.[3]
While computers and automation have received most of the attention. Connectivity, networking, system setup for processing information, and service delivery are all areas where state governments have actively pursued the use of ICT technologies. This has been implemented on a small scale, for example, by automating IT in certain departments. Service delivery for high-volume recurring transactions like bill payment, tax payments, and meeting provision, and electronic file management and workflow systems are all examples. Some projects have prioritized improving lives, while others have prioritized facilitating the citizen-state interaction for different government services. Every state government has established an IT task group to draft an IT policy statement, and citizen charters have begun to emerge on state and local government websites. [4]
While improved administration and service delivery may be the more obvious exterior motive for governments to adopt IT-enabled operations, this transition may also be seen as an investment with the possibility of a return. Recent examples of E-Government initiatives launched by different state governments are shown below. E-Government goes beyond just automating administrative tasks. Putting up webpages and establishing information centers in underserved neighborhoods. E-Government aims to improve government in three ways: efficiency, effectiveness, and citizen empowerment. The state of Haryana has been at the forefront of implementing E-Governance initiatives that prioritize the needs of its citizens and guarantee top-notch service delivery, both of which contribute to the ultimate goal of making all public services in the state accessible online. It's impossible to discount E-Government's impact on Haryana.[5]

E-GOVERNANCE AND MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION

The chief-secretary chairs the State Level Steering Committee for IT-PRISM, which also includes the Joint Sectary of IT. The committee has been given the following responsibilities by the government of Haryana: to decide the priorities of industries to be taken up for computerization; to review the advancement of implementation of IT Action Plan of departments, boards, and corporations; to approve budget and sanction posts or expenditure for IT; and to devise the means for the promotion of IT education in Haryana.[6]
The Secretary, Information Technology and Electronics, acts as chairman of the Technical Committee, which also includes the Managing Director of HARTRON, the Joint Secretary of IT, the Secretary of IT, the State Information Officer of the National Informatics Center in Haryana, and three IT experts nominated by the state government. To aid the steering committee, i.e. IT-PRISM, in their efforts to standardize hardware, software, and databases; to evaluate IT technologies; to build framework contracts; to set up standards for hardware and software purchasing; and to approve course curricula for all varieties of computer courses.[7]

Classification Of E-Governance

Citizens, company owners, government officials, and workers may all benefit from e-governance services. These four e-governance diagrams are as follows:
From government to the people; G2C.
Governing to governing; G2G.
Administration to workers; G2E.
Government to business, G2B.
Models' types of service provision.

    Governing to governing (G2G)

This kudos to governments for providing capital-intensive services. Some data has to be exchanged across various government departments, bureaus, and organizations. Some examples of services and data are as follows:
The cooperation of law enforcement agencies from different states Preparation, approval, distribution, and optical of all government papers are all part of the government projection exchange. e-governance.[8]

2. Administration to workers (G2E)

This approach improves communication between the government and its workers. In this arrangement, the government and its employees may safely store and exchange the data they need to carry out their duties. All forms of information input .[9]
All types of work may be reported by employees online.

3. Government to business (G2B)

Businessmen facilitate the feedback loop between the public sector and the private sector, as well as between the two. This approach allows for the exchange of data between them, such as:
Taxation and collection.
Rule and data sharing of any type is encouraged.
All fees and fines must be paid in full.
Approving or disapproving laws and imposing penalties.

4. E- Governance stages

There are several ways to quantify the success of governments using the Internet. The early e-business surfaces were those on which all relevant information was made available, followed by platforms on which bidirectional transactions between government entities were made possible. The amount of success may reasonably predict the next step in development.[10]
  1. Information- In the first phase, government entities will provide information about themselves to the public. Websites passively offered information, such as the public organization's mission and contact details. The actual services rendered are left out of these statistics. Departments, not functions, are in charge of maintaining websites, which means that they can only be updated so often. The vast majority of websites nowadays look like this.
  2. Interaction- These websites become two-way communication tools when citizens are able to update their personal information (such as a new address) using information collected through electronic means like email. Calling or mailing in a request to the government is obsolete. Downloadable content files detail a wider range of topics, capabilities, and services, while offline fillable forms may be submitted in the same fashion. However, there is a lack of responses. Numerous similar websites exist, with many reliant on the basic medium of electronic mail.
  3. Transaction- A license or fee is paid, or taxes are filed, or some other official exchange of value takes place. In this tier, web-based self-services replace in-person interactions with government employees, however offline routes may still be necessary.
  4. Transformation- Integration of government services and a pathway to them based on people' demands may replace the conventional structure of departments and agencies to provide government services. Users may get unified services from several government agencies without having to learn the intricacies of each one by accessing these services via a single portal.
  5. The Pros and Cons of Electronic Government
The following are some of the benefits and drawbacks of e-governance.

Advantages:

It has made it easier for government workers to do their jobs, saving them time and allowing them to be more efficient.
A centralized, decentralized, and statewide network for district administration has been set up thanks to the implementation of e-Government.
It's helped open up government and put vital resources at people's fingertips.
E-governance allows public servants to do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. Government programs and directives are being heavily promoted.
A significant proportion of complaints are filed using online platforms with the district collector.

Disadvantages:

The authorities are not adequately educated with the notion of e-governance, despite the fact that all the districts have fully functional computer systems and other gadgets to support e-governance.[11]

The Problem:

Without a doubt, the central and state governments' sincere interest for grassroots democracy is shown in their attempts to reform urban governments via the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (1992). Even after making structural modifications and giving these organizations constitutional legitimacy, it is depressing to observe the poor performance of local urban institutions. Several reports and analyses have left us with the impression that city councils have not been successful in their mission to transform municipal governments into genuine democratic institutions and effective instruments for creating urban environments fit for human habitation. The ideas of municipal administration have clearly not been applied in their full spirit. These city governments continue to act as social clubs for the city's political elite. [12]
They have failed because factionalism has been encouraged. In particular, the engagement of marginalized groups and women has fallen short of expectations. These organizations have struggled due to a lack of funding. The urban municipal authorities in India have lost confidence due to a number of issues, including a lack of competent administration and a flawed Municipal personnel structure. Given the dismal state of urban local bodies across India, it was thought important to conduct an empirical study on urban local governments in Haryana following the implementation of the Municipal Act, 1994, which incorporated the provisions of the Constitution (74th Amendment) Act, 1992. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which the desired objectives as envisioned in the Amendment Act have actually been achieved.
URBAN GOVERNMENT IN INDIA
The history of municipal government in India predates the history of Indian culture. Indian cities, towns, and hamlets possessed democratic institutions similar to those established by the Greeks centuries earlier in their city-states. Our ability to reshape municipal institutions in light of our previous experiences is aided by the fact that we have a history of municipal government development in the state of Andhra Pradesh to look back on. Research into political or administrative structures is based on conjecture rather than fact without access to relevant historical records. For this reason, it is crucial to investigate the beginnings and development of municipal administration. [13]
This chapter looks at the evolution of city governments from antiquity to the present day. Despite widespread belief to the contrary, ancient India was home to both sprawling cities and decentralized republics of farmers and artisans. Our ancient texts provide abundant, vivid evidence of a sophisticated urban administration structure in India. Well-planned brick built cities with comfortable houses that had bathrooms, water supply, and good drainage were inhabited by the early Indians of the Indus Valley civilization, which dates back to 3000 BC, as evidenced by excavations at Mohenjadaro in the lower India and Harappa in the Montgomery District of Punjab, which now forms a part of Pakistan. They were well ahead of the times compared to modern-day communities. If you look at the city's well-designed streets and spectacular sewer system, both of which are maintained by frequent clearing, you can see that the city administration is paying attention. In the predominantly rural economy of the Vedic period of ancient India's history, when the concept of sovereignty had not attained crystallization, local government in the absence of any strong centralized authority enjoyed considerable measure of autonomy and embraced decentralized decision-making.
clearing up the drains on a regular basis is indicative of a vigilant local authority. Over the course of many reconstructions necessitated by floods, its power was sufficient to ensure the respect of town planning, bye-laws, and the preservation of recognized lines for streets and dwellings.2 . Local government in ancient India, which was largely rural during the Vedic period when the concept of sovereignty had not yet crystallized, enjoyed a large degree of autonomy and encompassed practically the entire life of the community because there was no strong centralized authority to constrain it.
Ancient and Medieval Period
Local governance may be traced back to ancient India. Local administration is assumed to have existed in the distant past on the basis of historical documents, excavations, and archaeological research. Manu, who is referred to as the "Superintendent of all affairs" and "elevated in rank very formidable," like a planet amid the stars, is defined as "Punapati" in the Rigveda, which is a phrase comparable to "city father."[14]
The Paura Guild, Nigama, Puga, and Gana are only few of the examples of local governments with administrative and legislative roles, as well as tax and levy collection, that are documented in the two Indian epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. During the time of Hindu dominance that followed, town committees continued to operate under the names "Gosthis" and "Mahajan Samitees" (53 Andhra University, Visakhapatnam). The authorities recognized and appreciated the samitees' role as representatives.
A regular strategy in town management was envisioned in Kautiiya, one that was tailored to address the normal issues faced by cities. According to his worldview, 'Nagarika' served as Mayor of the city and oversaw a wide range of responsibilities related to municipal government. It seems that the city's administration, including the upkeep of the drainage system and the cleanliness of the roadways, was once overseen by a chief executive officer, with the same name as the city itself ('Nagarika').8 'Stanika' functioned as a council member or ward member, and each of the town's four sections (wards) was responsible for its upkeep. A government officer known only as "Gopa" was put in charge of supervising groups of ten to twenty houses inside each ward. According to Meghasthenes Indica, the capital city of Meghasthenes was administered by a thirty-person Municipal Board with six subcommittees. The first committee's job was to make sure the streets were safe for everyone. The second group was responsible for conducting population counts and keeping a citywide registry of births and deaths. The third committee oversaw commercial activity and performed weighing and measuring checks. The fourth committee was in charge of keeping an eye on production, while the fifth was in charge of bringing in money from sales taxes. The sixth committee looked out for the interests of the craftspeople and producers.[15]
The great towns of the Mauryan and Guptan empires—Patiliputra, Ujjain, and Takshila—were the pinnacle of urban civilization of the time. During the Gupta era, municipal government is established. During this time, cities were typically run by a council known as the Parishad, and elected administrative officials played an important part in municipal government.
Muslim Period
During the time of Mughal rule in India, a town's administration was entrusted to an official known as a "Kotwal," who was responsible for a wide range of municipal tasks and had last say over all issues of magisterial, police, and fiscal power. He was responsible for maintaining order in the city, managing the marketplace, distributing the assets of the deceased, preventing crime and social abuses, overseeing the slaughterhouses and cemeteries, and keeping a ward-by-ward population registry and spy network. The Kotwal had sufficient administrative support to carry fulfill these responsibilities. Thus, he had not only municipal and governmental but also social roles in the governance of Muslim India.[16]
Post-independence Period
The year 1947, when India finally won its freedom, was a watershed event in the evolution of its municipal governments. A number of state governments in the United States have begun making attempts to restructure urban local government institutions in their states via the introduction of suitable legislation. Legislative, administrative, financial, and judicial forms of control were all made available by the new laws. State governments' administrative authority also extended to the ability to publish guidelines for the orderly administration of local affairs and the prudent administration of municipal finances. The new laws also allow for state intervention in cases of extreme mismanagement of municipal affairs, administrative indiscipline and chaos due to excessive partisan politics, and serious violations of the canons of financial propriety or indulgence of gross violations of laws, rules, and regulations.[17]
CONCLUSION
The Directorate of Urban Local Bodies Department, Haryana was founded on April 1st, 1982 with the goal of better coordinating and controlling the functioning of municipalities within the State. The Department was set up to provide momentum for the 74th Amendment to the Constitution and to provide a firm groundwork for Urban Development in the State of Haryana. The inhabitants of Haryana, one of India's most forward-thinking states, take great care to be informed about developments in international affairs. The department's workload has increased exponentially as the population in metropolitan areas has grown and with it, the need for greater infrastructure and more services that improve the quality of life there. The Department advocates for a new and improved system of governance that can more efficiently and effectively offer public services to residents at a lower cost and with fewer administrative burdens
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