In a continuing trend of ignorance of the authorities towards already built infrastructure in the city, the ‘City Kiosk’ installed under Smart City initiative at various places in the city, including bus stops and civic offices, are gathering dust. The condition has remained the same even after Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari, Municipal Commissioner and Administrator, Nagpur Municipal Commissioner (NMC) inspected the functioning and condition of the kiosks. He even directed the officials to identify suitable locations for installing additional kiosks in the city.

 

The ‘City Kiosks’ were originally installed back in 2018 under Nagpur Smart and Sustainable City Development Corporation Limited (NSSCDCL). A total of 65 kiosks were installed, including 42, at various bus stops and 23 at various government offices. The kiosks were installed to offer services like Aaple Sarkar portal, traffic challan payment, water bills and property tax payment, and even to access voter information. Currently, almost all the kiosks in the city are gathering dust as none of these are in use. Most of the kiosks were found non-responsive when ‘The Hitavada’ paid a visit. Some kiosks were even found surrounded by spider webs, telling a story of sorry state of the kiosks. The glass enclosures where the kiosks are placed are full of dust, and some have become a place to spit by citizens. Citizens cite locations of the kiosks for not using them. Prashant Kamble, a resident of Khamla said, “The kiosks are located in central part of the city near the Government offices. Its far better then for citizens from our part to directly go to office instead of using the city kiosk.”

 

The response to the kiosks was low from the start, and the COVID pandemic in 2020 did not help. The digital services made available by the Government during pandemic virtually made the kiosks irrelevant. The fact was even accepted by the authorities. “The citizens have access to all the services through their phones, and hence, they do not use the Kiosk as much as we wanted them to,” said Shil Ghule, General Manager, of Smart City’s e-governance while speaking to ‘The Hitavada’. He also said that there are no plans proposed as of now for the upgradation or expansion of the City kiosks. The story of City Kiosks serves as a stark reminder of the disconnect between ambitious infrastructure projects and the practical needs of citizens.

 

With outdated technology, inconvenient locations and readily available online alternatives, these once-promising hubs have become symbols of bureaucratic apathy. Unless a comprehensive reassessment and revitalisation plan is implemented, these kiosks will continue to gather dust, representing a costly and visible failure of the city’s smart initiatives.