The Hindu : New Delhi News : CSB project still awaits Government clearance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 18, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

CSB project still awaits Government clearance

Sujay Mehdudia

The latest move to join the CSB bandwagon was made by the Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, in his Delhi Budget speech last month Bureaucrats reluctant to join hands with MCD

NEW DELHI: Despite the keenness of the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, to get going with this citizen-centric initiative, the bureaucracy in the Delhi Government seems to be trying to ensure that the Citizens Service Bureau (CSB) project remains only on paper. The Government stand not to follow the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which is handling the project, seems to have taken a toll of this innovative concept that could have gone a long way in resolving day-to-day problems of the Capital's citizens.

Interestingly, the announcement to join the project has been made time and again by the Delhi Government but somehow things have not moved in harmony. The latest move to join the CSB bandwagon was made by the Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, in his Delhi Budget speech last month where he lauded the whole concept and expressed the determination of the Delhi Government to be part of this noble move to empower the citizens and lend them a helping hand by providing basic services at their doorstep.

"I am not aware of the fact that the project is hanging fire with the Delhi Government. If this is the case, we will ensure that things are cleared at the earliest as such measures are aimed at providing solutions to the problems faced by the citizens. I will personally look into the matter and make things move as we want all our public dealing departments to be a part of this initiative,'' Ms. Dikshit, said.

Nearly 94 CSBs are presently ready to be launched but due to the continued delay in giving clearance to the project by the Delhi Government, these centres are not being made operational. Interestingly, it was Ms. Dikshit who wanted this concept to take off in a big way last year but things did not fall in place due to reluctance of certain senior bureaucrats in the Delhi Government to join hands with the MCD.

Hurdle

The prime culprit in this whole situation is the Information Technology Department that has created one hurdle after another in giving a go-ahead to the project. It is understood that the file relating to the setting up of CSBs in all the 134 wards in association with the Delhi Government Departments has been lying with the Chief Secretary for the past four months without any decision being taken on the issue. "It is just an attempt to stall the whole project that was originally the brainchild of Ms. Dikshit. The Delhi Government has an important role to play in this whole affair and what is the harm if MCD and Delhi Government work in harmony on this citizen-friendly initiative?'' said a senior official.

Apart from issuing birth and death certificates, these CSBs would also be involved in collection of taxes, monitoring of public grievances, collection of power and water bills with facilities like internet banking and debit card usage.

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