Seva Kendras Lead To Transparency And Accountability
Transparency and accountability are twin pillars of good governance. It is of paramount importance for any responsible government to ensure the delivery of its programs and activities reach the people without leakage and pilferage.
E-governance in India has no better ambassador than the state of Punjab. Launched in the middle of August 2016, these Sewa Kendras dot the state map in 2,147 centers. In these 9 months of operations, the daily footfall is over 30,000. Nearly 700,000* applications in the month of May, 2017 is sufficient proof that the citizens of this progressive state have embraced e-governance with both hands.
Each month since its launch, these Sewa Kendras have found favour with the citizens. Starting with 1.51 lakh applications in the first full month of operations in September, 2016; it has now touched 7,00,000 applications in May, 2017 showing a 24% increase from the previous month April figures. The response has been overwhelming and figures are nowhere any stabilizing; there has been an exponential growth on a month-to-month basis.
In a country like India with a wide geographical spread, bureaucratic complexities, red tape, stifling procedures; e-governance is the only tool to plug the leaks in the system. The corruption in the system is so prevalent that India consistently figures in the ratings as the one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Indian citizens are used to “running pillar to post” and “greasing the palms” for basic services – registering a property, applying for electricity or ration card, collecting pension, birth, wedding, death certificates, caste certificates to name a few – unless there is access to a Tehsildar, MLA, or bureaucrat in the top level of administration. Fortunately gone are those days. Welcome to e-governance!
Good governance practices that have installed transparency and accountability through computerization of all the public dealing Departments, including the Police, Judiciary, transportation, and registration of properties.
The development of information technologies has brought about fundamental changes in the relationship between citizens and public authorities and local governments. Today the media is vociferous in taking on vested interests and exposing acts of misgovernance and corruption through RTI. The Government machinery is more than aware that citizens have multiple mechanisms and cannot be inconvenienced.
Punjab is a proof that corruption can be curbed by systematic changes in governance through introducing participation, transparency, accountability and probity in administration. The government’s initiatives to incorporate Citizens’ Charters, Right to Information, e-Governance, Report Cards and Social Audits is an illustration for other state governments in the Union.
BLS International plays a major role in Punjab Sewa Kendras as they operate and manage all the 2,147 centers. They are single-point contact for citizens of Punjab for all their government documentation needs. Through investments in IT systems, robust Data Management System, disciplined workforce; these Sewa Kendras provide 82 citizen-centric services (of the proposed 223 as the rest of the services will be added subsequently).
The benefit to the citizens of Punjab is immense and immediate: convenience of availing services at a Sewa Kendra close to their homes in a time-bound and transparent manner and importantly 82 services pertaining to 17 departments under one roof.
E-governance in Punjab is showing the way for other states in India to follow in ensuring transparency and accountability for efficient and effective delivery of government services.
* The reduction in count from Dec-Feb was on account of the demonetization effect.
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About Ashok Mujumdar, Director | Abhiyan Marketing Services (P) Ltd.
A marketer by profession and a journalist by training, Ashok Majumdar is a product of Times School of Journalism, Times Research & Foundation Institute (TRFI). He interned at Times of India’s Business Desk in 1988 and published the Media Times, a magazine on marketing & advertising for The Times Group. He moved to marketing and headed the marketing services cell of the Times Group before venturing out on his own in 1994 to found Abhiyan, a marketing services company. He co-founded Ebony & Ivory, an advertising agency accredited to INS in 2005. Ashok heads account services. He works closely with clients to develop their advertising strategy.
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Ashok Majumdar, Director | Abhiyan Marketing Services (P) Ltd.
ashok.majumdar@abiyan.in
Phone No. : +91-9810366834
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