AMC to use cyber space to save paper

The latest green initiative taken by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation promises to not just bring down the civic body's stationery bills but also save trees and man hours.

AMC has decided not to distribute hard copies of the committee's agenda. It will, however, upload the agenda on AMC's website and mail it to various department heads, office bearers and other stake holders. This will save around 5 lakh legal-sized (8.5x14 inches) papers annually and more than 10,000 man hours. 

The civic body prints and distributes some 300 sets of standing committee agenda. This consumes 900 papers per week on an average and more than 50,000 papers per annum. 

"AMC uses up nearly 5 lakh legal-sized papers for printing or photocopying agenda of meetings of standing committee and 13 sub-committees," said Bhupendra Patel, chairman of AMC's standing committee.

According to rough estimate, the civic body will be able to save Rs3 lakh to Rs3.50 lakh per year with this initiative.

"Saving money is important, but what is more important is saving environment," said Patel. He said the civic body's e-governance, which has been recognised as the best at the national level, should be used for a good cause.

Of the 300 people who received a set of standing committee agenda, less than one third find it worth having, while a few others find it useless.

Moreover, the green initiative will also help save man hours. Currently, the distribution of 300 sets of standing committee agenda is entrusted to 70 peons. The peons need to cycle at least 10km to distribute these sets to various departments of AMC and this takes nearly three hours. "With this initiative, we will be able to save more than 10,000 man hours," said Patel.

The civic body has already taken a few initiatives such as uploading circulars and transfer orders, and in doing so, it has not used paper for printing and delivering the document to the concerned person.

AMC has also started e-payment facility for property tax, thus helping the citizens save time, energy and money.