Patna: The Bihar government is expected to roll out a new e-governance portal for urban local bodies by August or September, aimed at digitising a wide range of municipal services across the state.
The initiative, being implemented under the National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM), is designed to provide a single online platform for services offered by municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats.
Officials said the tender process is likely to move forward after the Urban Development and Housing Department recently extended the submission deadline to attract more qualified agencies and improve technical options.
Key civic services to go online
Once operational, the portal will allow residents to access several municipal services remotely, including payment of holding tax, issuance of birth and death certificates, building plan approvals and grievance redressal.
Officials said the system is intended to reduce physical visits to municipal offices and improve service delivery.
The department said the platform would also help make civic administration more transparent and accountable.
Rs. 119.9 crore approved over five years
The state government has approved an expenditure of Rs. 119.90 crore, including GST, for the project over the next five years.
The funds will be used for development, implementation, operation and maintenance of the e-governance modules, along with integration of a double-entry accounting system across all urban local bodies.
Implementation to begin after agency selection
Department officials said that once the tender process is completed, the selected agency will begin adapting and implementing the portal for use across the state.
The government expects the platform to streamline urban governance and improve citizen access to public services as Bihar expands its digital infrastructure.
