BMC website will tell you if your favourite restaurant is legal…..Pandurang Mhaske
Now, it is easy to find out if the hotel where you had gone for lunch or dinner is authorised or not. Not just that; you can even find out if the hotel has the right permissions, courtesy: the BMC’s new software that it has installed in its website.
The BMC has put all the information about the licenses issued to the various establishment under the BMC act. “Any one can go to the www.mcgm.gov.in website and find out any information on the web,” said Aseem Gupta additional Municipal commissioner.” The web has information on those licenses that are especially needed to run a particular business.”
The BMC is planning to display all licenses for the common public to see. The aim is to make the information public. The civic body has dispensed with the need to seek it under RTI.
“The information on hospitals, hotels and maternity homes, shops have also been displayed,”. Gupta said. “If a shop is illegal, it will be easier for a citizen to inform the authorities to take action,” said Gupta.
The city has about 4.8 lakh shops and establishments registered with the BMC including shops, commercial establishments, residential hotels, restaurants and eateries and theaters. The website will continuously provide updates on the renewed licenses and the new ones given by the civic body.
Many times the citizens are not aware whether the shop near their residence, where they used to purchase households every day, is authorised or not.
Many people seek the information through Right to information act (RTI), which takes more time. “This new system will also curb the unauthorised commercial activities in the city,” Gupta added.
On the anvil is BMC’s plan to offer a registration and renewal of licenses for shops and other establishments.
URL: DNA, Page No. 2, Dated: November 02, 2010