HMDA SET TO DIGITISE MBs FOR INFRA PROJECTS

In order to minimise the commission of errors by the fieldlevel staff, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has decided to use digital measurement books (MBs) for all infrastructure projects within its jurisdiction.

The digital MBs will contain the details of every stage of every project – from the administrative sanction and the tender process to the end of the project – along with photographs and digital signatures of the concerned officials. The HMDA will procure tabs and distribute them to the fieldlevel staff so that they may regularly update the data which will be stored in the cloud.

According to an HMDA official, the concept of digital MBs was proposed by IndusInd Bank. It has become a herculean task for the HMDA to maintain physical MBs and find the appropriate ones when needed. Digitisation will allow officials to provide accurate information to the government as well as the public at the click of a button. It will also increase transparency and accountability.

A senior HMDA official said that the engineering wing had agreed to the digitisation of MBs; it would write to the government seeking approval. He said that the concept would be implemented on a pilot basis in Koheda village, where HMDA planned to finalise tenders for the resettlement and rehabilitation of families who had lost their lands to the Outer Ring Road Project. He said that 1,111 plots spread over 103 acres of land would be developed.

The official further stated that field-level engineers would take pictures on the tabs provided to them and upload them along with their digital signatures. He added that higher authorities would be able to regularly monitor the work.

“During the initial stages, the work will only be monitored by the HMDA authorities through their dashboard. Later, the data will be put in the public domain,” he said.