Bangalore One to offer new services soon

Bangalore One to offer new services soon
Deccan Herald

Railway reservation facility and issue of passport applications will soon be made available at Bangalore One centres, the one-stop shop for all public services.

“We have already written to the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate issue of passport applications at Bangalore One centres. We are hopeful of getting a positive response in a month’s time”, Rajeev Chawla, secretary, e-Governance Department told reporters on Saturday.

“In addition, we have requested the Government of India to give its approval for setting up railway reservation facility at these centres. The Centre’s approval is awaited”, he added.

At present 15 Bangalore One centres have been set up in City and another 35 will be set up in the 6 to 12 months time. “We have set a target of 50 centres in Bangalore within a year”, he said.

Chawla said that mobile bill payment facility (post-paid) will also be made available at Bangalore One centres. He said that similar citizen service centres will be set up in Hubli, Belgaum, Mangalore and Mysore in the second phase. In addition, the government has planned to set up 800 tele centres in rural areas.

“The government is expected to give clearance in 15-20 days”, he said and added that centres are expected to be functional soon.

The tele centres will offer a variety of services for the people in rural areas such as computerised land records, electricity, telephone bill payment facility, besides property-related payment facility, issue of caste, birth and death certificates, old age pension. Private players will be roped in to provide the facility in rural areas, he added. Mr V P Baligar, principal secretary, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, who was also present said the government has planned to provide computers to 1,000 Grama Panchayats by March.