West Bengal minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim on Saturday asserted that in the next few years, people will not have to physically visit most state government offices, as bulk of the operations are being digitised.
Hakim said the state government is aiming at reducing the number of its offices in the coming years. "I can assure you that in the next few years, nobody will have to visit the corporation office, everything will be online," Hakim said here on the sidelines of the ABP Group-organised INFOCOM 2022.
The West Bengal Urban Development minister also said an amount of Rs 70 crore has been sanctioned for IT upgradation and modernisation in the state. "We are looking at making more and more operations online for the ease of people.
This will not apply only to the corporation office. In fact, we are mulling reducing the number of government offices in future," Hakim said. On the recent announcement about closing down hookah bars in the city, he said the modalities of the move have to be worked out with the stakeholders.
"There is a meeting with hookah bar and restaurant owners next week, where we will discuss the matter," the mayor said. Hakim had on Friday said all hookah bars in Kolkata will be shut down, after allegations of illegal drug use at these places.
He also said a football ground will come up at the Dhapa dumping ground on the eastern outskirts of the city within the next two-three years. Hakim, however, did not elaborate about the proposal.
(With PTI Inputs)
