In a significant policy announcement, the Delhi Government on Thursday rolled out a scheme to help residents get public services while sitting at home. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, while announcing the scheme, said it will enable people to get 40 public services such as water connection, caste and marriage certificates, and driving licence, at their doorstep. The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Sisodia told The Pioneer, “It will take three to four months in operationalisation of this scheme. We are working on the finer aspects of this unique public delivery scheme that will eradicate corruption and save people of Delhi from undue harassment. The scheme will save time and money of the people. We will ensure that benefits of this scheme are available to everyone”.
This is “home delivery of governance”, which is being done for the first time in the country, the Deputy Chief Minister said.
He said that the Government would hire a private agency to implement the scheme. “Mobile Sahayak (facilitators) will be hired through the agency that would set up call centres.”
“Various certificates such as caste, new water connection, income certificate, driving licence, ration card, domicile, marriage registration, duplicate Registration Copy (RC) and change of address in RC, will be covered under the scheme in the first phase,” Sisodia said.
Applicants can pay the prescribed application fee to the ‘Mobile Sahayak’, the Deputy Chief Minister said.
Giving an example, the Deputy Chief Minister said that if a person wants to apply for a driving licence, he or she will have to call a designated call centre and register their details.
Thereafter, the agency would assign a ‘Mobile Sahayak’, who will visit the applicant’s residence and get the required documents, he said. Those wishing to make a driving licence will have to visit the respective transport authorities for test. All necessary documentation will be done at their homes, Sisodia added.
“The Mobile Sahayak will be equipped with all necessary machines such as biometric devices and a camera. For home delivery services, the applicant would be charged a nominal fee which is yet to be decided,” Sisodia said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that though many of these services were currently online, many people don’t have internet connectivity and the new project would benefit them. People can take appointment with ‘Mobile Sahayak’ to access services according their convenience and even on holidays, so that they do not have to take leave from work, Sisodia said.
The Deputy Chief Minister said citizens would be able to access these services outside of the normal working hours too.
In the second phase, 30 more services will be added to the scheme, he said. Sisodia said all Government services would be gradually added to the list of services. The project would be implemented in three to four months.