54 Sampark services on doorstep in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 4

The UT Administration has decided to provide 54 services, at present offered via Sampark Centres, on doorstep.

For availing of these services on the doorstep, a citizen has to pay Rs 200 (inclusive of taxes) per service transaction and Rs 100 (inclusive of taxes) for each subsequent service transactions (excluding other charges/fees).

A spokesperson said the service could be booked via Sampark website/Sampark toll free number 1800-180-1725/Sampark app.

However, citizens can continue to avail of these services as per the previous mechanism, i.e. visiting the respective department, Sampark Centres or through the online mode. The doorstep service would be available from Monday, he added.

In his Republic Day address, UT Adviser Dharam Pal had announced that they had planned to launch Sampark’s doorstep service delivery to enhance service facilitation to the citizens.

Rupesh Kumar, Director, Information Technology, UT, said within 10 days, they had implemented the announcement made by the Adviser on Republic Day.

Further, to promote digital transactions, UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit has given approval to giving a 50% rebate on proposed facilitation charges for all services to be availed of through the online mode via Sampark website/app.

The Administration has also decided not to levy any facilitation charges for 20 services and not to enhance these charges for 28 services at present being offered by Sampark Centres, which are mainly availed of by the underprivileged or needy. These services include Scheduled Caste certificate, Other Backward Class certificate, Legal Heir certificate, character certificate, Birth & Death certificate, UDID disability card, tenant and servant verification etc. The new charges would be applicable from Monday, he added.

As Sampark is acting as one-stop solution for providing from government to consumer services for the past nearly 20 years, wherein the number of centres has increased from four to 45, the expenses on manpower, consumables, hardware and software maintenance, etc, has increased manifold. Thus, it has been decided to levy a nominal facilitation charges only on nine services in both offline and online mode (50% rebate on charges proposed earlier) for availing of these services through Sampark like e-stamp paper, sale of revenue stamp, sale of court fee, electricity bill payment, water bill payment, etc.

Compared to similar centres in Punjab and Haryana, most of the services offered through Sampark are either free or at very less facilitation charges, added the official.

Opposing the move, RK Garg, president, Second Innings Association, said any charges for online services, through e-Sampark on electricity and water charges bills would not be acceptable and also doorstep services would be a big failure from day one as no one would be able to pay Rs 200 or Rs 100 for a single service. He requested the Administration to make all online domestic bill payments free of cost to encourage digital payments.

The Administration should also not charge money on college applications and fee, he said, adding that they would request the Municipal Corporation and other departments to make arrangements for receiving bills.

How to book doorstep service

A spokesperson said the service could be booked via Sampark website/Sampark toll free number 1800-180-1725/Sampark app.

Digital push

Purohit has given approval to giving a 50% rebate on proposed facilitation charges for all services to be availed of online via Sampark website/app.

No facilitation charges for 20 services

The Administration has also decided not to levy any facilitation charges for 20 services and not to enhance these charges for 28 services at present being offered by Sampark Centres, which are mainly availed of by the underprivileged or needy. These include SC certificate, OBC certificate, legal heir certificate, character certificate, birth & death certificate, UDID disability card, tenant and servant verification etc.

(The new charges would be applicable from Monday)

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