The online ‘lost Article Reporting Application’ launched on October 6, last month by Chandigarh Police, has caught the attention of city residents. In the last 50 days, 857 reports have been lodged, police officials said on Wednesday.
The application, enabling residents to lodge reports regarding lost articles or documents through mobile phones or through computers, started with around 10 reports being lodged online. Gradually, the number of reports lodged rose and is presently around 30 reports per day.
An Analysis by the Chandigarh Police revealed that the most frequently lost documents or articles reported is Driving license (195) followed by Mobile Handsets (185), Aadhaar cards (47), Passports (43), PAN cards (40), ATM cards (39), EPIC card (37), Educational Certificates (13), Debit cards (11), Pass Books (9), Credit Cards (6), etc.
At the Mini Data Centre (MDC) of Chandigarh Police, a team using the backend Management Information System (MIS), analyses the category of 'Other' (224) and documents/articles frequently reported lost are constantly updated as a distinct category in the drop down list of the application for ease of the end user. The application is still in its infancy and is being constantly monitored for further refinements.
Taking another step in the direction of enhancing public service delivery, Chandigarh Police is now ready to launch the online Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) service for the residents of Chandigarh.
Presently, residents and institutions apply for a PCC to enable them to apply for a Visa, employment, periodic background checks, etc. which requires them to visit the Police Station and to fill out forms and to submit supporting documents.
The application and documents are then processed from office to office and subsequently a PCC is issued manually. This work flow was analyzed and an online application process has been devised which will obviate the need for filling out paper forms and to submit physical copies of supporting documents in addition to making trips to the police station.
After an initial registration process, the applicant will fill out the details in the application form and upload the photo and digital copies of the supporting documents. Chandigarh Police has tied up with the SBIePayTM, a payment gateway portal of the State Bank of India (SBI) which will enable the applicants to pay through Net Banking or by Debit/Credit cards. The processing fee for issue of PCC is `250 for individuals and `500 for institutions.
Once an online application is submitted and the requisite fee is paid, a digital copy will be sent to the concerned Police Station, which will carry out the physical verification at the stated address as well as conduct a 'Record Check' of the applicant. The report will be uploaded using digital signatures of the Station House officer (SHO) to the Supervisory Officer (ASP/DSP) who will securitize the report and thereafter transmit it to a Centralized PCC Issuing Authority (DSP/CID) who will authorize the issue of the PCC subject to a clear report from the Police Station.
A digitally signed and verifiable report will be emailed to the applicant who can be print the same as per convenience. An SMS confirming the issue or denial of the PCC will be sent to each applicant. The Embassy or High Commission of the country to which the applicant is applying for emigration/employment based visa as well as other requisitioning employers will be able to verify the authenticity of the PCC by logging on to the website of Chandigarh Police and submitting the details through a barcode or entering the unique number manually.
With the online application process, Chandigarh Police expects to cut down the time taken for issue of a PCC from the present one month to less than 15 days. The online Police Clearance Certificate (PCC) utility will be launched by the Advisor to the Administrator, on November 27 as part of the events being organized in connection with the ongoing 'Police Week' celebrations of Chandigarh Police from November 23-29.