2.9 Forest Produce Tracking System: Facilitating resource management from source to sink in Karnataka

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1 environment 2.9 Forest Produce Tracking System: Facilitating resource management from source to sink in Karnataka Forest Produce Tracking System (FPTS) is a cutting edge web-based application, which was developed and implemented by the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) in India s first end-to-end online system for tracking forest produce, FPTS represents a radical shift in the approach toward transit management as user departments have access to all the data on a single, simplified dashboard which generates reports on transit passes (TPs), rejected applications, check post registers and tracks delayed arrivals too. The FPTS automatically tracks a voluminous number of transactions, handling approximately 4,000 5,000 TPs issued daily. Rationale Prior to the introduction of the FPTS, the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) used a manual system to manage and regulate the extraction of natural resources such as timber, minerals and firewood. A forest officer would inspect a load at the source of release and issue a TP to the owner of the material, certifying the details of the load. This certificate was periodically verified at each forest check post till the sink. However, this manual system suffered from several shortcomings. It was very time consuming as multiple authorities, approvals and logistics were involved in the issuance of TPs. The enormous volume of paper-based TPs made it difficult for KFD to effectively carry out its core function of monitoring and regulation. Also, the workload often forced issuing officers to sign pre-written passes as it was near impossible to be present at all locations to issue loads and transit passes. The absence of a mechanism for independent verification of TP entries at check posts and the inability to identify the transported material, leading to mixing with illicit material, were among the other issues that affected the previous system. The system was made even more ineffective by the rampant corruption at the issuing stage, owing to discretionary powers being vested in multiple issuing authorities; printing of counterfeit TPs; ferrying of multiple loads with the same TP; and pilferage of resources as no weight was taken at loading points. Taking mining as an example, Figure 1 shows the operation of the previous manual system of obtaining permits for the extraction of forest produce and issuing TPs. Figure 1: The scenario before implementation of FPTS Source: Karnataka Forest Department Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book

2 Forest Produce Tracking System: Facilitating resource management from source to sink in Karnataka The Bellary mining incident of was seen as a major symptom of this systemic weakness. It generated significant bad press but, on the positive side it created a favourable political climate for reform. The Karnataka Lokayukta report on illegal mining in Bellary had a chapter on the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for regulation of ore movement. This provided impetus to the KFD officials in the e-governance working group to take up the task of re-engineering the system. High-level government support as well as very little resistance, owing to the conducive political climate, created favourable conditions for introducing the systemic reform. The FPTS emerged from this reform. Objectives The primary objectives of this initiative are to use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to reengineer the system of TP generation, making it efficient, transparent and simple for all stakeholders. The initiative aims to enable comprehensive and scientific natural resource management by enabling real-time tracking of what is being extracted, from where, by whom and for what purpose, so that policy decisions are based on data, not assumptions. Key Stakeholders Implementation Strategy Aiming to establish a self-regulating and persuasive system, the Government of Karnataka began by carrying out end-to-end process re-engineering of the forest produce tracking system, from source to sink. All systemic changes were carried out strictly in conformity with the provisions of the Karnataka Forest Act and related rules so as to avoid recourse to amending existing rules as that would be time consuming. Iron ore was the first forest produce chosen for tracking (now FPTS also tracks manganese). The process changes were deployed through the web-based FPTS 1, an end-to-end solution for generating TPs and tracking the movement of forest produce from source to sink. Figure 3 presents the process changes affected by FPTS. Figure 3: Process changes affected by FPTS Prior Process Manually generated paper Transit Pass TP printed at government press Manual application submission Manual approval of release order by DCF Discretion of inspecting officer at loading point Manual submission and cancellation of TP at destination Manual verification at check posts The key stakeholders involved in the programme are KFD, industries and the citizens who ultimately use data made public by this initiative. Figure 2: Key stakeholders of the FPTS Programme Karnataka Forest Department Designed, developed and deployed the ICT solution Business/Industry Citizens in collaboration with NIC Main user of the application for operations, monitoring and regulation Stakeholders who carry out extraction of forest produce The ultimate beneficiary who can use the data made public by FPTS Current Process Online generated e-transit Pass Passes printed by buyer Online application submission Online approval of release order by DCF Passes generated at machines integrated with weigh bridge Electronic cancellation using bar code scanners SMS based verification Source: Karnataka Forest Department, and OneWorld Foundation India, 2014 The FPTS application was developed at the ICT Centre of the KFD, with technical assistance from the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The application was developed on.net and SQL. The entire project, from initiation in June 2011 to state-wide rollout in January 2012, took seven months, with three months spent on application development. The new process is shown in Figure Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book 2015

3 environment Figure 4: Process flow after FPTS implementation 5) Buyer data of volume of produce and vehicle details captured at weigh bridge which is integrated with FPTS Buyer 1) Requisition of username and FPTS Admin password for FPTS transactions 2) Approval within 6 hours 3) Release order requested with fee paid online a) Weighing platform b) Weighing loadcell c) Junction box d) Weighing indicator e) Computer (selective) f) Scoreboard (selective) g) Printer (selective) h) truck 4) Release order approved within 6 hours DCF Sink 6) Data validation and checking if relevant payments complete 7) TP generation approval and printing by buyer 8) Transportation of produce to sink by buyer, validation of produce details at checkposts and automatic data updation on server NIC Server The implementation of FPTS has enabled a systemic transformation. In the new system, applications are submitted online and buyers can print the release order as well as the TP. The FPTS system prints TPs with quick response (QR) codes and microprint watermarks, which the check-posts automatically verify using 2D QR scanners. The veracity of TPs can also be cross-verified through SMS by messaging KFD INFO (TP No, year) to # All basic data on buyers, along with release details, is recorded in the NIC server and used for validation at the weighbridge before generating approval. Weighbridges are also equipped with digitisers for converting analogue weight to digital and camera integrated licence plate recording to capture vehicle registration numbers. To ensure easy acceptance and implementation of the new system, the offiline process was discontinued immediately after the FPTS rollout and only documents generated through FPTS were accepted. The legal status of the e-transit Pass has faced no problems, as it is in conformity with the Section 4 of the Information Technology Act, The new system (FPTS) also provides for a robust system of authorisation. The password policy is strictly enforced. Buyer transactions are facilitated through Secure Word. Digital signature certificates are used to validate the login and authorise transactions and biometric checks are implemented. The overall implementation has become easier as the bulk of infrastructure requirements have shifted to buyers. The new system s change management strategy aims to initially retain the complex functions at the head office and develop simpler functions, and thereafter gradually increase devolution as the acceptance and comfort levels improve. Resources Utilised FPTS was developed in-house by the KFD and as such did not require any additional resources for web application development. For field deployment, ICT infrastructure and human resource training were the main resources utilised, the details of which are given in Table 1. Impact The deployment of FPTS has resulted in transparent, accountable and efficient movement of forest produce from source to sink. Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book

4 Forest Produce Tracking System: Facilitating resource management from source to sink in Karnataka Table 1: Implementation cost of FPTS Training and deployment Cost per check post computerisation (total 48 check posts) Item Quantity Rate (Rs.) Amount (Rs.) Item Cost (Rs.) Workshops for ,000 75,000 1 Computer 40,000 Travel cost once vehicle hired, department vehicles used 1 12,000 12,000 1 Scanner 7,000 Team viewer software 1 57,000 57,000 1 UPS 10,000 Support centre (1 year) installed for general grievance used Cell phone charges (1 year) and data connection charges 3 1,000 36,000 Destination CP None 5 3,000/month 1,80,000 Total 3,60,000 57,000 Source: Third party evaluation of process innovation Mineral Movement Administration through innovative use of ICT of Karnataka Forest Department Ease of tracking: User departments have access to all the data on a single, simplified dashboard. They can view reports on TPs (by release order or date). Rejected applications, check-post registers and delayed arrivals too can now be tracked using FPTS. The general public can check TP details and track produce movement through SMS. Every material at the sink can be traced to a source mine even if multiple legs of journey with multiple modes of transport are involved. 2 Improved transparency, better monitoring: FPTS automatically makes the details available at a central location and enables instant report generation, thereby greatly strengthening KFD s monitoring and evaluation capacity as well as bringing complete transparency to the system. It handles approximately 4,000 5,000 TP issues every day. Table 2 provides details on the total number of TPs generated and quantity transported, tracked through FPTS over a period of three years. Greater efficiency: FPTS has enhanced efficiency by allowing buyers to enter the TP data themselves. Automation of TP issuance and checking has significantly reduced idle time at loading points. The process time for the approval of a release order has come down to 12 hours, significantly reduced from the earlier minimum time of 21 days. Online generation of compliance and performance reports has eliminated the need for storage space (for paper records) and resulted in environmental gains as well as financial savings. FPTS has computerised a core process, thus providing basic data for a series of other functions such as accounting, offence management, revenue receipts and timber and mineral stock management. Decline in corrupt practices and increased accountability: Prior to the launch of FPTS, the inefficiencies of the manual system forced even honest businessmen, especially purchasers who had no reason Table 2: Produce tracking details (April 1, 2011, to January 23, 2014) Office Name Total no. of TPs Total Quantity Transported Bellary Forest Division, Bellary Chitradurga Forest Division, Chitradurga Koppal Forest Division, Koppal Tumkur Forest Division, Tumkur Total Source: Karnataka Forest Department 2 ICT Centre, Karnataka Forest Department, FPTS 72 Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book 2015

5 environment Image 1: A screenshot of the FPTS tool Source: Web Portal, FPTS to prefer illegal produce, to indulge in corrupt activities. FPTS eliminated this systemic compulsion, making it easy to do fair business. The system has also enhanced accountability, as the discretion of TP issuing officers at the loading point has been completely removed. The new system undertakes authentication through digital signatures, making officers completely accountable. The number of TPs that can be printed is dynamically linked to payments (TP fee and taxes) made by buyers, minimising chances of illegal payments. End users of forest produce can also get details of the produce and determine whether it has been sourced legally. FPTS also enables the use of information by rival social groups (such as competing firms or political parties) to keep watch on each other and thus ensures a strong system of checks and balances. The elimination of monotonous and repetitive tasks has also resulted in job enrichment for officers, who can now focus on the tasks of regulation and implementation. The overall success of the initiative has renewed faith in ICT solutions among the rank and file of KFD, creating openness and enthusiasm for further innovation and reform. Key Challenges Infrastructure gap was the key challenge that the KFD encountered. Besides IT connectivity and infrastructure, awareness levels of functionaries also varied across the state. This was tackled by prioritising resource allocation for infrastructure development and through training, which were facilitated by high-level support for the project. The application initially met with lukewarm response from functionaries, as it took away their discretionary powers. This issue was dealt at the highest level through a strategy of indifference and firmness till the change was imbibed on a deep and wide scale. Anti-corruption sentiments in the society also seem to have helped diminish potential resistance. Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book

6 Forest Produce Tracking System: Facilitating resource management from source to sink in Karnataka Replicability and Sustainability FPTS is a robust application that can handle 10,000 TPs with around 200 concurrent users from 80 mine heads. It can be easily scaled up to handle an even larger workload. The system can also be easily extended to regulate other forest produce such as firewood, pulp, poles and billets. As the process is the same in all forest departments across the country, FPTS can be easily replicated with minimum customisation required for master details like administrative structures and names of divisions and functionaries. The system is flexible and can also be modified to handle any new related processes, functionaries and divisions such as the trading of iron ore. It does, however, require a strong IT infrastructure and capacity building drive to be effective. There is effort toward further enhancing FPTS by adding mining sketches that demarcate and designate the mining area for each buyer. This will increase accountability and enable checks on illegal mining. KFD has developed some other applications as well, including the following, for natural resource management: E-timber: Tracks timber movement from source to sink Huli: Carries out digital census of tigers using PDAs Bhuvan: Acts as a geo-spatial natural resource database; developed in collaboration with ISRO Image 2: A screenshot of the Bhuvan database. Conclusion The stakeholders involved in the management of forest produce administrative officials, industry and the general public now have access to precious real-time data made available by FPTS. This has made it easier to take policy decisions that are more realistic, sustainable and responsive to the needs of the public and the environment. The public has also been empowered to keep a check on malpractices, thereby ensuring much wider accountability. Fact Sheet Theme Nodal Implementing Agency Geographical Coverage Target Groups Environment Karnataka Forest Department All districts of Karnataka State Karnataka Forest Department officials and businesses involved in forest produce Years of Implementation Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book 2015