Punjab to set up computerised service delivery centres

Punjab government will soon set up Unified Citizen Service Delivery Centres (UCSDCs) in urban and rural areas of the state to provide more than 225 citizen- centric services under one roof.

As many as 1,750 such centres will be set up in rural hamlets and 424 in urban areas, an official spokesman said in Chandigarh on Sunday. The centres will help provide citizen-centric services efficiently in a time bound manner across the state besides making a difference in the lives of rural populace, the spokesman said.

He said the Punjab e-governance society would establish the centres and oversee their operations. The spokesman said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has directed that no government department would establish any front-end service delivery centre in future since all the relating services would be rendered through UCSDCs.

"All departments have been directed to maintain back-end computerisation including data digitisation at their own.

However, till the time back-end computerisation under process, citizen services should be provided manually in existing manner as is being now done at Suwidha centres," he said.

He said the Deputy Commissioners in all districts would be the nodal officers to steer the project in their respective jurisdictions, besides coordinating with local authorities. He said the deputy chief minister has asked Punjab Chief Secretary Sarvesh Kaushal to make these centres operational by the middle of next year.