SURAJ NANDREKAR
PANJIM: The State government has introduced Citizen’s Service Centres (CSCs) across the State at all RTOs, Collectors and Mamlatdars offices in a bid to help ease the problems of citizens but is the service to benefit citizens or the cash-strapped government and Goa Electronic Limited (GEL)?
For instance GEL has set up counters at various transport offices at taluka level and citizens are given various services like permits, fitness and other services of the Transport Department. This, the officials say, will ease the problems of common man. But wait, there is a catch to it.
The citizens have to pay Rs 50 extra (over and above the RTO fees) as service charge on every transaction or services they make besides Rs 9 as GST. So in all citizens have to shell out Rs 59 extra for every transaction.
Not only this, despite paying the extra money citizens are not exempted from visiting the State Transport Authority (STA) or the District office. To collect the certificates and other related issues they have to at least once, come to STA or district offices.
A citizen waiting for a service at the counter alleged that this is another way of looting people. “Why should I pay extra, earlier too we were waiting in queue and now again we have to wait after getting tokens so what is the difference? Why should I pay more,” asked Kishor Parab, from Neura.
Another person Farmina Gonsalves said, “There is no system nor anybody here to guide us. How are we to understand what to do?”
“This is good initiative which will take some time to settle. A person from Canacona need not come all the way to Panjim for a permit. He can maybe, take a token and apply at CSC in Canacona, make the payment online and then maybe he would require to come once he gets a message on phone,” said Deputy Director Prakash Azavedo.
The officer said that the person coming from Canacona would earlier spend Rs 500 for every visit which has now been minimised to just RS 59. Asked the reason for such charges, the officer said, that is an administrative decision. “The finalisation of company and the fees have been approved by the government and I cannot comment on it,” he said.
Asked why the citizen needs to come to the STA or district office after paying the required fees, he said, there are certain things which have not been done online and will be done shortly. “The government intends to bring down the footfalls on the counters and hence it is introducing online services,” he said.
