Delhi government launches e-District project to offer services online

NEW DELHI: Residents in the national capital will now be able to access a host of Delhi government services online and get documents verified for the issuance of nearly a dozen certificates under an ambitious 'e-District project' that was launched today by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The inauguration comes days after the Cabinet approved a proposal to make 12 government services hassle-free through the doing away of the need to produce affidavits, and also introduced the concept of self-attestation.

Terming the project a "guiding light", the chief minister called for the initiative to be properly publicised so that people could benefit from it.

"During my NGO days, I used to wonder why governments were not simplifying these procedures. It's because they did not have the right intentions.

"This Delhi model of service delivery shall act as a guiding light across the country," Kejriwal said.

Stressing on the need for publicising the project, he said that "small reports" in the media would not be enough to make the public aware about its utility and touts would continue to thrive.

"We will have to prepare an outreach programme," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that training programmes would be organised for MLAs and their staff, after the ongoing Assembly session, to equip them with the expertise to enable people to make optimum use of the service.

As part of the project, the government has completely digitised caste data from 1962 to present that was available in its records, Secretary (Revenue) A Anbarasu said during the launch.

The certificates that have been chosen in the first phase of the project include OBC, SC/ST, domicile, disability card, income, solvency, survivor, death order, marriage registration, birth order and 'lal dora'.

Duplication of certificates shall also be available online as part of the project.

"I am going to spend two-three hours every day at the district headquarters to sort out all revenue-related issues. The MLAs have been asked to collate a list of such issues," Sisodia said.

Food and Supplies Minister Imran Hussain, Assembly Deputy Speaker Bandana Kumari and Chief Secretary KK Sharma were also present for the launch at the Delhi Secretariat here.