The initiative for doorstep delivery of services, which has been inactive for nearly three months, awaits relaunch

The government of Delhi's premier programme, doorstep delivery of services, which allowed residents to apply for specific documents from the comfort of their homes, has been discontinued for over three months. According to sources, the programme was extended in November of last year until March 31.

The project was not approved by the Delhi cabinet in the allotted time by the department of administrative reforms, which was in charge of the initiative. During the project's four and a half years of operation, the Delhi government provided 100 distinct services to citizens, issuing over six lakh documents, certificates, licences, and permits.

This is the second major initiative of the AAP government, the first being the abruptly discontinued free Wi-Fi programme. A top government official in Delhi stated that the project in its existing shape will either continue until it is replaced with a new and improved scheme or last until March 31. This was made clear by the department when it granted an extension in November 2023.


Now that the programme has run its course, the government will need to restart it. After receiving clearance from the relevant departments—planning, finance, law, and others—a proper concept note must be submitted to the cabinet for approval, according to an official.

When was the scheme launched?
With 30 services, the plan was introduced in September 2018. In March 2019, forty new services were added to the project, and in September of the same year, thirty more. Initially, the government had contracted with VFS Global, a private organisation specialising in visa-related services, to manage the programme for a period of three years.

In accordance with the plan, individuals would schedule a service by calling a centralised number, 1076, and a mobile sahayak—a last-mile representative—would come get the required paperwork, sparing them the trouble of having to visit government buildings.

Services
The programme offered a number of services, such as the issuance of income, caste, and domicile certificates; connections to the sewer, water, and electricity systems; ration cards, driver's licences, drug licences, and bus passes from 14 government departments, including social welfare, revenue, transportation, Delhi Jal Board, and food and supplies.

[With TOI inputs]