Face2News/Chandigarh
Taking a major leap to ensure efficient and seamless delivery of citizen-centric services in a transparent manner, the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, has decided to establish a Project Management Unit (PMU) to provide all services related to various government departments through a unified online portal, announced Mr. Aman Arora, Minister of Good Governance and Information Technology, Punjab.
Chairing the 21st meeting of the Board of Governors (BoGs) of Punjab State e-Governance Society (PSeGS) here at Punjab Bhawan, on Friday evening, Mr. Aman Arora said that the main objective of the PMU is to bring all the offline services onto a unified online portal, enabling citizens to apply anytime, from anywhere. The portal will also empower applicants to track the status of their applications, besides facilitating monitoring of service pendency at the Head Office level to ensure a greater accountability and timely resolution.
Notably, the PMU would play a pivotal role in driving end-to-end digitisation and implementation of all the services of various Government Departments notified under the Punjab Transparency and
Accountability in Public Service Delivery Act.
The PMU will help in integration of departmental services with the Punjab e-Sewa portal, said Mr. Aman Arora, while adding that a total of 846 services are notified under the Punjab Transparency and Accountability in Public Service Delivery Act and out of these only 436 services are provided through 541 Sewa Kendras. Out of these services, as many as 406 services are being provided through the “Bhagwant Mann Sarkar Tuhade Dwaar”, under which citizens can avail the 406 citizen-centric services by just dialling helpline no. 1076 from the comfort of their homes.
To provide all services through single point of contact or Door Step Delivery, the remaining notified services would be integrated to ensure online accessibility, he added.
The Good Governance Minister said that the PMU would provide technical and functional support to the departments in digitising/onboarding their notified services and ensuring seamless integration with the online Portal. The PMU will act as a central agency for designing, monitoring, and facilitating the implementation of digital services across departments.
Meanwhile, the BoG also decided to conduct a comprehensive performance and impact audit of all Sewa Kendras operating across Punjab. This initiative underscores the government's commitment to bolstering citizen outreach and public engagement. The audit aims to evaluate the efficiency, transparency, and service delivery mechanisms of the Sewa Kendras and Door Step Delivery, ultimately working towards strengthening citizen trust in governance.
Reaffirming the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led state government’s firm stance towards zero tolerance against unnecessary delays in service delivery. He emphasised the state government's unwavering commitment to ensuring that citizens receive services within the stipulated timeframe. Strict measures will be implemented to address any unwarranted delays and uphold the rights of the citizens.
Additional Chief Secretary Good Governance Mr. Vikas Pratap said that this two-pronged approach, encompassing a thorough audit of existing service delivery channels and a strong push towards online service integration, reflects the Punjab government's proactive stance in leveraging technology to improve governance and empower its citizens, he added.
Director Good Governance Mr. Amit Talwar, State Transport Commissioner Mr. Jaspreet Singh, Special Secretary Local Govt Mr. Parminder Pal Singh and other senior officers of the departments were also present in the meeting.