In a renewed push towards modern governance, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) has launched its third attempt to digitize a massive backlog of physical records. This ambitious project aims to convert over five lakh dust-ridden paper files into easily accessible digital formats.
A Long-Awaited Digital Transition
The journey to digitize the civic body's archives has been fraught with delays. Initial efforts began more than two years ago but failed to take off due to various procedural and financial obstacles. Officials had first secured permission from the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) in 2023 to hire an agency for scanning and uploading records to the cloud. However, the proposal stalled at the local bodies department, primarily due to concerns over the project's higher cost.
It took nearly two years of convincing senior authorities to green-light the initiative. A tender process was finally initiated in March 2025 and came close to success, but was ultimately cancelled due to unspecified technical reasons. The current tender marks the third concerted effort to get the digitization project off the ground.
Scope and Structure of the Digitization Drive
The scale of the task is enormous. The MC must scan and digitize files spanning multiple crucial departments. These records are currently stored in separate record rooms across the corporation's four zones. The files slated for digitization include documents from key branches such as:
- Bridges and Road Branch
- Operation and Maintenance Cell
- Building Branch
- Birth and Death Certificates
The end goal is to create a centralized, user-friendly system. Once digitized, all records will be maintained via a dedicated mobile application, promising access at a single click. This move is expected to drastically improve efficiency for both civic employees and citizens seeking information or certificates.
Overcoming Hurdles for a Digital Future
The repeated delays highlight the challenges faced by urban local bodies in adopting technology. The initial hurdle of cost approval from the state department was a significant setback, consuming valuable time. The subsequent cancellation of the 2025 tender added another layer of complexity.
Despite these setbacks, MC officials remain determined. The current tender process reflects their ongoing commitment to replacing outdated, physical record-keeping with a streamlined digital archive. Success this time would mean transforming how Ludhiana's civic data is stored, managed, and retrieved, setting a precedent for transparency and accessibility in municipal administration.
