JAGATSINGHPUR:The State Government’s plan to deliver e-services to the rural populace by opening common service centres (CSCs), also known as Jan Seva Kendras, has failed in different areas of the district due to non-cooperation and corrupt practice of the officials concerned.
With many CSCs yet to be made operational, hundreds of village level entrepreneurs (VLEs) are finding it difficult to sustain their livelihood.Nearly 125 CSCs are functioning in eight tehsils of the district for the last four to five years to provide e-services to rural people at their doorsteps. As per guidelines, each CSC needs to be equipped with IT infrastructure, including three computers, one multi-functional printer, one point-of-sale printer, power back-up system and a modem or dongle for Internet connectivity.
With support from district administration, SREI SAHAJ e-village Limited had established hundreds of CSCs in the district. The rural people can obtain caste certificates, Aadhaar card, railway ticket, bus pass, senior citizen card, disability identity card and birth, death, resident and income certificates. Moreover, people can pay property tax, telephone as well as water and sewerage bills at the centres.
Sources said VLEs, who had opened CSCs by investing lakhs of rupees, are living in pathetic conditions due to callous attitude of tehsil officials, collection of bribes, delay in service delivery and non-availability of Internet services.
The CSCs collect `32 from each applicant towards users’ fee and `23 as commission. However, tehsil officials are allegedly collecting `20 to `25 extra for each certificate from the VLEs. On the other hand, people applying directly in the Tehsildar office can obtain a certificate by paying `30 towards users’ fee. Hence, instead of visiting the CSCs, people are depending on private vendors operating on tehsil office campuses for e-service facilities.
A VLE Suresh Chandra Muduli said applicants who are applying through CSCs are getting their certificates within 15 to 20 days. But those who are applying directly in Tehsildar office are getting the same within two to three days. As a result, applicants are not preferring to come to CSCs to avail the services.
Jatindra Biswal, another VLE, said he had invested `2.40 lakh, including security deposit of `40,000, in the CSC. “But I failed to provide e-services to locals due to corrupt practices in Naugaon tehsil office. Now, I am working as a contract worker in Electricity department.” Meanwhile, VLEs who had decided to open CSCs at Jamugaon, Ghodhans, Bansa, Deriki, Naugaon and other panchayats, alleged that tehsil officials are demanding bribes to facilitate opening of the centres. As a result, several centres are yet to be made operational.
Contacted, Sub-Collector Subash Chandra Nathsharma said following the allegation, the district administration has taken steps to curb corrupt practices and check collection of bribe from VLEs. The administration has shifted private vendors from tehsil office campus to streamline e-service facilities through CSCs.