West Bengal Unveils Geographic Information System to Track Rural Activities

The West Bengal government will roll-out a new computer-based system to track rural activities in the state, an official said Friday.

The technology to store and analyse data for specific geographic locations across 1,000 gram panchayats will also bring in more accountability for all activities undertaken by rural units, the official added.

Scheduled to be implemented across nine districts, the Geographic Information System (GIS)-based project will also ensure people's participation in developmental activities and panchayat meetings by keeping regular tabs on the progress status.

"The project will be taken up on a pilot basis in Burdwan district and the entire project will be rolled out in the third quarter of the year.

"Through this, we will track all physical activities taken up as part of various schemes. For example, photographs will be taken at the beginning of a project. Then through the various stages, all the data will be updated and uploaded on the GIS server.

"This will improve accountability as well," an informed source in the state's panchayat and rural development department told IANS.

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Additionally, the venture will tackle the issues of fudged figures of people's participation in village meetings.

"We have been getting complaints that participation data are manipulated. Through GIS, we will get reconfirmation of participation of villagers in the meetings and discussions. This will also boost their participation," the official said.