Blog-post

Punjab leads the rest of India on e-governance by empowering its citizens to access government services under one roof in the most transparent and accountable manner. The state government of Punjab is a pioneer in the use of Information Technology for e-governance that reaches across the length and breadth of the state for last-mile connectivity unparalleled in India so far. BLS International, as a service operator that operates, maintains, manages the Sewa Kendras, is proud partner of this initiative.

What are Sewa Kendras?
As of part of ‘Digital India’ initiative, 2,147 e-governance centres called “Sewa Kendras” were set across the Punjab state. These Sewa kendras minimises public interaction with various offices and enhances efficiency of the administration and delivery of services to citizens. They act as a catalyst to help people get their routine administrative works done in a speedy manner.

The Department of Governance Reforms provides 78 citizen-centric services to people under one roof in these Sewa Kendras. The basic services include: providing birth and death certificates, marriage certificates, banking services, voter cards, electricity bills, besides all government departments.

From red tape to efficiency
The scale of this initiative is gigantic: of the 2,147 Unified Sewa Kendras (USK), in the state to provide hassle-free services of every department to the citizens.

To ensure efficiency and accountability the government privatized the functioning of these 2,147 Sewa Kendra. BLS International was chosen as the agency to manage these centres after a competitive bidding process.

Why BLS International? 
BLS International leverages the vast network of these centres to deliver real-time services for a model Government-to-Citizen Services to those in the rural, semi-urban and urban markets.

BLS International was chosen as a delivery partner for its strengths and proven expertise: Strong technology expertise, Data Management System expertise, Proven Track record, project management capabilities, quality human resources and responsive management.

The benefits of e-governance
“Earlier, people living in remote areas had to travel more than 100 kilometres or even more to reach government offices for getting their job done. With this, they can get their job done at their villages itself. This practice will not only save their money, but also reduce harassment,” Mr. Shikar Aggarwal, Joint MD told PTI in an interview.

These e-governance centres would not only help the government deliver their services to the people more effectively but also generate employment in the state.

“The project, meant to provide over 200 government services to people under one roof, will also generate revenue for the state government and would bring transparency in the work culture by bringing administration to the doorstep of the citizen,” he said.

This initiative of the Punjab Government truly lives to the motto of “Digital India” Initiative: Power to empower.

The boons of Digital India Initiative
Digital India was launched by the Government of India in 2015 to ensure that Government services are made available to citizens electronically by improved online infrastructure and increased Internet connectivity.

The motto of Digital India is “Power to Empower”. BLS International has followed that path since its inception in 2005 for the highest performance standards and transparency for a service delivery that every applicant is entitled. The power of technology and digitization for an empowerment in passport, visa, and consular attestation services.