Touted as Asia’s first project of its kind, mentioned in the World Bank’s Development Report 2001 as among the top seven projects implemented and held up as a model for others to emulate to ‘‘weed out corruption and bring in transparency.’’Today, barely two years after the Gujarat government implemented the ambitious Rs 200-crore computerised checkposts project, the wires seem to have got crossed somewhere leading to a logjam.The central monitoring system, connected to all 10 computerised check posts, has been locked since August last year. What all’s shut down? Two IBM super computers at the Central Monitoring Station (CMS). Ten data and video servers at each checkpost. And 69 other computers used for the project, 58 at the checkposts and 21 at the CMS. With the computers, cameras and datalink facilities not functioning, transparency’s a thing of the past.The computerisation did make a difference: the RTA income shot up from Rs 93 crore in 1999-2000 to Rs 236 crore in 2001-2003. But what went wrong in a system that was applauded by international agencies? A disagreement between the state government and the private firm over money to be allotted under the annual maintenance contract.Work on the project began in 1999 and was completed in eight months. Computerised weighbridges were installed at each of checkposts and computers were fitted to relay text data and video data to CMS. Every checkpost also had a video camera which could be used to monitor the situation from the central station. Today, computers worth over Rs 2 crore are gathering dust at the CMS.Technical director Nalin Patel of private company Design Solutions that has to maintain the project for 15 years said: ‘‘The percentage was never fixed. The one-year warranty period has expired but we still continued to maintain the machines and the system,’’ he said. The government didn’t agree to his company’s demand for Rs 1.5 crore as annual maintenance fee in the original contract, he said. ‘‘This is actually just two days’ income as the daily revenue after computerisation rose to Rs 75 lakh,’’ he said. Problems started in February last year, as the lease lines, computers, and cameras began developing problems. A disagreement arose between Design Solutions and the state government over the annual maintenance contract. The problems continued and in July 2002, a tender was floated for maintenance. Two companies — Design Solutions and Smita Engineering — applied with Smita Engineering quoting a price lower than Design Solutions. However, the contract has still not been awarded. In July, the Transport Commissioner sanctioned a sum of Rs 35 lakh for repairs. This sum has also not been used as yet.Despite repeated attempts, Transport Commissioner Kirit Shelat was not available for comments. Transport Minister Amit Shah said the matter has been brought to his notice. ‘‘Yes, I have been told that the system is not functioning and that there’s a problem with the maintenance contract. I will ensure that the matter is resolved in a day or two,’’ he said, adding that the matter has presently been sent to the Finance Department for approval.Meanwhile, all employees of Design Solutions, who manned CMS and the checkposts, have been out of work since August. ‘‘Until August 2002, the government paid Rs 1.25 lakh per month as salaries for us. That’s also stopped now,’’ said an employee.The 10 checkposts that were computerised and connected to the CMS in Ahmedabad are Bhilad, Shamlaji, Songadh, Dahod, Jhalod, Ambaji, Deesa, Tharaad, Amirgadh and Samaikhyali. Of these, the Bhilad and Songadh checkposts are the biggest — 5,000 vehicles pass via the Bhilad checkpost daily while about 3,500 vehicles make their way through the Shamlaji one.
