Suwidha centres fail to serve purpose

Tribune News Service

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, August 6

Suwidha centres and kendras that are meant to help people avail government services are not serving their purpose. Information regarding various services, fee for these and formalities (documents) required is generally not displayed at the centres. In the absence of any knowledge about the same, the applicants feel helpless and are at the mercy of employees. The residents complain that most of the times, the employees ask for unnecessary documents just to turn away the applicant.

I was perplexed when I was asked for a PAN card with an application for renewal of an arms licence. As I had never thought about the need of the same for an arms licence, I did not carry it. I was turned away and asked to come the next day. If such information regarding the required documents is displayed publically, it would make things easier for the applicants. — Parshotam Singh, a senior citizen

A senior citizen, Parshotam Singh, said: “I was perplexed when I was asked for a PAN card with an application for renewal of an arms licence. As I had never thought about the need of the same for an arms licence, I did not carry it and was turned away and asked to come the next day.” He said if such an information regarding the required documents is displayed publically, it would make things easier for general public. “Moreover, PAN card is usually required in services involving a financial transaction. I don’t know how getting an arms licence renewed is a financial service,” he said.

The opening time of these centres is 8 am but due to rush, everyone tries to come as early as possible. People start making beeline outside these centres around 7 am.

Another resident said: “Getting any work done from these centres requires a lot of patience.” He said when a person reaches any of these centres for the first time, he is asked to come early next day and get a token. When one manages to get the token after a wait of nearly two hours, he has to wait for his turn. “In most of the cases, it takes four to five hours. When you reach the counter, the employee asks you for a number of documents and there are chances that one may not be having one or the other. A list of required documents for various services should be well displayed at the centre so that people are not inconvenienced,” he added.

Residents stated that senior officials of the district administration must take a note of the problem especially in rural areas and get the information pasted on the notice boards.

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