Services at your doorstep from July

EASE OF ACCESS In first phase, 40 services from eight government departments to be listed for home delivery, project to start by Julyend

NEW DELHI: Come July and Delhi residents will be able to get government services — transfer of ownership of vehicles, registration of marriage, certificates of caste, domicile, income, new water or sewer connections and driving licences — delivered right at their doorstep.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government said that plans to roll out its ambitious project of“doorstep delivery of key services” from the end of July.

Once the scheme is in place, officials said, residents will be able to access around 40 government services from eight government departments from the comfort of their homes.

According to the government officials, the scheme will not only save time and efforts of residents, but also bring transparency in the system as there were instances when people had to pay bribes to get their work done.

Under the scheme, the beneficiary of a scheme can make a phone call to a particular number (which is yet to be announced) and fix an appointment according to his convenience.

The government will rope in a private agency, which in turn will hire ‘Mobile Sahyaks’ (facilitators), who will pickup documents, take photo, and biometric details and process applications, apart from delivering certificates at the doorstep of residents.

The doorstep delivery will be available at a nominal fee, around ₹50, but that is yet to be finalised.

According to a senior government official, the tendering process to appoint the private partner has almost been completed. Three bids have been received.

“The bidding started last week and we have narrowed down on one agency. We have sent it to the Certificates of caste, birth, death, income, transfer of ownership of vehicles, driving licence, registration of marriage, old age pension scheme, new water or sewer connection.

Initially, nearly 300 police-verified “Mobile Sahayaks” will be engaged to deliver the services.

(across 8 government departments)

The proposal was stuck for nearly two months because of difference of opinion between L-G Anil Baijal and the AAP government. After the Cabinet’s nod, the proposal was sent to the L-G for approval but he returned the file in December for “reconsideration”. The L-G suggested that focus should be on digital delivery of services “as 35 out of 40 services listed in the scheme are already available online.”

Baijal approved the scheme in January after the government re-sent the proposal, assuring him that it will simultaneously strengthen the online mechanism.

finance department for approval. Tenders will be allotted next week after we get the finance department’s consensus,” said the official.

He added that the chosen company would be given six weeks for preparing the software interface and commission the project. “The company will develop a software interface which will link the website of the concerned department. The government will set up a call centre where the beneficiary can call to avail the services. We have decided to roll out the scheme by July end,” the official added.

The Delhi Cabinet had on November 16 given its nod to the plan. In December, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal had returned the file and advised the government to focus on “digital delivery” of services. He had also asked the government to set up kiosks by unemployed youth for those who are unable to access

the internet.

The L-G’S decision then snowballed into a larger controversy with deputy CM Manish Sisodia alleging that the L-G was trying to protect a corrupt system.

Baijal, later, approved the scheme in January after the government assured him that it will simultaneously strengthen the online mechanism.

“In the first phase 40 services will be included in the plan and later we will add 60 more services. The company selected will have to implement the scheme for three years,” he said.

President, East Delhi RWAS Joint Forum, BS Vohra welcomed the move and said that it would save a lot of time and money.

“People have to wait for hours at government offices to get their work done. It is a good move which will bring transparency in the system,” he said.