Punjab adopts new model to run Sewa Kendras, awards contract to new operator

The Punjab government on Friday awarded a new service operator the contract to run 535 ‘Sewa Kendras’ for five years as it shifted to a transaction-based model from a revenue-sharing one.

According to the new contract, the operator will provide all the IT (desktop, computers, scanners etc) and non-IT (ACs and water-coolers) infrastructure, which was earlier provided by the government at each Sewa Kendra, an official statement issued here said.

Doing away with the earlier revenue-sharing model, this time the contract has been shifted to a transaction-based model, the statement said.

While handing over the award letter to representatives of M/s TerraCIS Technologies Limited, Punjab Governance Reforms and Public Grievances Minister Aman Arora said the new service operator has been selected in a transparent manner to manage Sewa Kendras in the state for the next five years.

”This new contract has also paved a way for doorstep delivery of services to the residents of Punjab as promised by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann,” said Arora, while adding that the government is set to roll out its doorstep delivery of services provided at Sewa Kendras.

Currently, over 430 services are being provided via Sewa Kendras and the doorstep delivery of all pivotal services, including marriage certificates, birth and death certificates, caste and income certificates, among others, will be started soon, the minister said.

Arora added that the new transaction rates quoted by the selected service operator would help the state government save around Rs 200 crore in the next five years.