| IT Deptt conducts surprise check of CSCs, overcharging to be dealt strictly: Chief Secretary | | | 
Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 30: In order to ensure seamless availability of online services to the general public, Atal Dullo, IAS, Chief Secretary J&K has issued directions to set up new touchpoints for CSCs in various Government offices like Deputy Commissioner offices, Block Development offices, Tehsil offices, Social welfare Offices, ARTO offices, Colleges and Universities. Directions have been issued to all Deputy Commissioners to allocate the spaces in all such offices for setting up of new touch points. Additional Deputy Commissioners (ADCs) of all districts have been nominated as nodal officers to facilitate and accelerate the opening of new touch points.
As on date, 244 new CSCs have been established, and a total of 40118 transactions have been made through these CSCs in the first month of their operationalization which is a significant stride. As on date, 13081 CSCs including 537 PACs and 2160 FPS are active and providing services on Digital Seva Portal in the union territory of J&K. Going tough against any sort of overcharging, Deputy Commissioners, who are the Chairman of District e-Governance Societies (DeGs) have also been asked to ensure strict enforcement of notified rates in their respective districts so that general public does not suffer on this account.
Acting on the complaints of overcharging by CSCs, Commissioner/Secretary IT Department, Prerna Puri, IAS, got a surprise inspection of various Common Services Centres (CSCs) conducted across Jammu and Kashmir through dedicated divisional level teams to cross check and verify their adherence to government notified rates. The inspection teams were supervised by Aijaz Qaiser, JKAS Additional Secretary IT Department in Kashmir Division and Meenakshi Vaid, JKAS Additional Secretary IT Department in Jammu Division In the first phase, inspection teams were sent out to the twin districts of Udhampur and Reasi in the Jammu Division; and Ganderbal and Bandipora in Kashmir Division. During the surprise checks , 23 CSCs (11 CSCs of District Udhampur and 12 CSCs of District Reasi) were inspected in Jammu division, whereas in Kashmir division 42 CSCs (21 in Ganderbal and 21 in Bandipora) were inspected. The inspection teams have recommended the cancellation of licenses of 5 CSCs (3 in Jammu division and 2 CSCs in Kashmir division).
Pertinently, the IT Department has notified rates to avail various online services which envisages Rs. 50 per service for government to citizen service and Rs. 75 for government to business services. Acting on complaints of overcharging, 664 CSC licenses have been cancelled in the past 1 year (624 in the financial year 2023-24, and 40 in this current financial year 2024-25). Meanwhile, Vice President CSC-SPV J&K has been directed to ensure that the notified rates are prominently displayed at a conspicuous place in each CSC sensitizing all Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) regarding notified rates.
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