Khanna slams Punjab Govt over delay in issuing essential certificates
Alleges that applications submitted through Suvidha Kendras remai pending for up to three months
Former MP Avinash Rai Khanna has criticised the Punjab Government over delays in issuing caste, residence and income certificates, alleging that applications submitted through Suvidha Kendras have remained pending for up to three months.
Khanna said that while the state government was talking about providing Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per month to women, ordinary citizens were struggling to obtain essential certificates needed to access various government schemes and services.
He alleged that Suvidha Kendras established across Punjab were now turning into “duvidha kendras” (centres of difficulty) for the public.
According to Khanna, people were being forced to make repeated visits to Suvidha Kendras and government offices to get their documents processed, while caste, income and residence certificates were not being issued within the stipulated time at several places.
He said these certificates were particularly important for students, job applicants, pension beneficiaries and people seeking benefits under various government schemes. Unnecessary delays in issuing the documents were affecting important work, disrupting students’ education and causing considerable inconvenience to citizens, he added.
“If the Punjab Government genuinely wants to provide relief to women and the common people, it must first ensure that government services function smoothly and transparently,” Khanna said.
He urged the state government to immediately streamline the certificate-issuing process at all Suvidha Kendras, ensure time-bound disposal of pending applications and fix accountability for officials responsible for unnecessary delays.
Khanna warned that if the situation was not resolved promptly, he would raise the issue of difficulties being faced by citizens before the Punjab Governor and the Human Rights Commission.
