Curbs have been put into place to prevent BMC officials from using the office internet to download movies and chatting up friends on Facebook; usage is now 4GB per department



The high consumption of data has affected the work like uploading of tender on the BMC website. Pic for representation

Here's why that approval you have been waiting for from the BMC hasn't come through yet. Either they simply haven't got round to it yet because they are busy chatting on Facebook and downloading films, or they are hogging the free internet to slow down actual governance work."

The blatant misuse of the office Internet came to light following complaints of pendency in completing office work — even simple tasks like uploading tenders on BMC website — due to the high volume of data usage. So much so that it prompted the information technology (IT) department to put a blanket ban on the use of websites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube along with other movie and songs downloading sites since December 9.

Password changed

Citing an example of a department gone rogue, a senior official in the know said since certain sections of the BMC office in CST had unfettered access to WiFi, their daily usage had started topping 140 GB, but once the BMC changed the password, the usage plummeted to 4 GB.

"There was high consumption of data so work like uploading of tender on the BMC website, which was made mandatory after the implementation of the e-tendering system, was getting affected. Other such activities would also slow down the network considerably leading to large scale pendency in the departments," the official added.

Another official noted that another large-scale guzzler are the civic hospitals as they consume the maximum data since ward staff often accesses the Internet for entertainment needs.

Official speak

Mahesh Narvekar, Director IT, confirmed that curbs have been set on the use of data in BMC offices; this, however, he added, has been done on a pilot basis to see the quantum of usage as well as the pattern. After a 15-day review, it will be made permanent if necessary.

Sources close to the commissioner also confirmed that the problem of the network being overused does exist and that steps have been taken to rectify the same.

Issues with a blanket ban

However, even as the ban has advantages, some civic officials have flagged that due to this blanket ban, they are also unable to open a few important websites related to their work like the weather update.

To tide over that issue, senior officials said they have asked all the departments to send in the name of websites that they need to access for official work and they will be unblocked on a need-to basis.

Additionally, to keep the new password accessibility scarce, the IT director confirmed that they have only been given to HoDs and all those that need to access the WiFi have to be reapproved by the department head.

15k

Number of computers hooked up in the BMC offices

140gb

Daily usage of one department of the BMC before change of password

60

Number of departments in the BMC