The Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) is considering a proposal to process online applications for mutation, trade licence and other clearances.

The civic body has already announced plans of making its forms available for free on the Internet. The move is part of a Rs 210-crore plus capacity building programme funded by the British government’s department for international development.

Under the new system, residents in the CMC area can download the forms, fill them up and email them to the civic body. The CMC officials after processing the e-form will, “if possible”, respond by email.

“Before introducing online processing of applications, the legalities involved in such cases have to be carefully evaluated. We are in the process of working out a practical solution. The success of such a system calls for transparency from the civic authorities as well as the citizens,” said municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

Loss to the civic coffers due to online distribution of forms will be negligible, added the municipal commissioner. The civic employees currently engaged in distribution and processing of civic forms will be put to other work.

The CMC earns about Rs 20 lakh annually by selling forms, which are priced between Rs 2 and Rs 50 each. However, the civic body has to spend more than Rs 30 lakh per year on printing the forms and distributing them. By making the forms available online, the CMC will save on these two heads.

Moreover, it will be easier for the civic body to introduce or modify clauses in the forms. Now, all printed forms in circulation need to be recalled and scrapped before changes can be made in the clauses and the forms reprinted.

According to chief manager (revenue) Aniruddha Mukherjee, to prevent false declarations by tax-payers, the civic body demands affidavits and other documents before issuing certificates and granting permissions. Despite the checks, pointed out Mukherjee, false declaration and consequent litigation cannot be avoided. Many people find it difficult to produce affidavits because their relatives live abroad.