Ahmedabad Municipal Cooperation reveals draft of its city data policy

The civic body has invited suggestions and objections to the draft version of its City Data Policy (CDP) 2024 it unveiled last week. Citizens can access the policy draft after clicking the ‘public information tab' followed by public consultation on the civic body's website.

One of the important sections of the CDP are safeguards for personal data, which are open for public suggestions.

The policy outlines individual rights, including the right to access, correct and erase personal data, as well as the right to object to automated decision-making processes.

 AMC has also detailed how it will handle sensitive data, including CCTV footage, which will be stored for only 30 days unless flagged by law enforcement or other competent authorities.

AMC's draft policy also touches upon data monetization, proposing that anonymized datasets could be made available for economic purposes, provided they comply with privacy laws.

Penalties for breaches of data privacy have been clearly outlined, with the municipal commissioner being responsible for enforcing such penalties in accordance with national and state regulations.

The role of the CDO is crucial to this initiative. As the primary point of contact for all data-related matters, the CDO will oversee the implementation of the CDP and report directly to the municipal commissioner.

Alongside the CDO, the CDP outlines roles for data managers, who will handle technical aspects such as platform management, and city data protection officers (CDPOs), who will address citizen concerns over data privacy.

Additionally, city data champions (CDCs) will be tasked with analyzing and publishing relevant datasets, using this information to improve civic governance.