Punjab will become the first state in the country by April next year to provide driving license within 30 minutes besides all services of transport department with Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today approved a series of online initiatives under e-Governance reforms here today.Presiding over a high level meeting Mr. Badal accompanied by Punjab Transport Minister Mr. Ajit Singh Kohar asked the Chief Secretary Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal to implement action plan before April next year.Mr. Badal said his sole aim was to cut interaction of common masses with DTO offices besides bringing transparency in deliverance of all services as well as elimination of red-tapism from transport department.
Principal Secretary Transport Mr. Anurag Aggarwal apprised Mr. Badal that the action plan contained on the spot delivery of learner’s and driving license, e-challan system, sms alerts and file tracking system submitted online to transport department, registration certificate and driving license data verification, high security registration plates (HSRP) at dealer point.He said that department had been identified 32 locations for driving test tracks including serpentine tracks for two wheelers, four wheelers and 8 wheelers with parallel parking along with public conveniences for men and women separately. He said entire rides would be monitored under CCTV cameras and the particulars of aspirants would be biometric. Under e-Governance project whole exercise would be monitored by track centre and control station and that successful participant would get their driving licenses immediately on the spot.
State Transport Commissioner Mr. Ashwani Kumar informed the meeting that those passing the tests would go for photo and get their licenses within half an hour. He said after implementation of this project under PPP mode the people would need not visit DTO offices as all services would be delivered online through website of transport department. He said applicants could track their applications through file tracking system of department. Aggarwal informed that department was all set to launch e-challan system by providing e-challans through handheld devises to the offenders and traffic enforcement agencies. He said that application data would be consolidated and integrated at central server for further actions besides generation of online challans. He said violators could pay the fine on the spot or through portal of transport department.
It was also informed that HSRPs to be fixed at the dealers points to curtail the harassment, energy and precious time of general masses. The provisional registration of vehicles would also be made online at dealers point by depositing requisite fee online.
Mr. Aggarwal also informed that after installation of computerised check posts at barriers to collect charges from inter-state passengers’ vehicles the collection has witnessed an increase of around 60 percent. He said this system has brought transparency and efficiency in the tax collection system. Deputy CM directed to install CCTV cameras at all collection centres at barriers to monitor the functioning of staff.
Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included Chief Secretary Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal, Principal Secretary Home Mr. Jagpal Singh Sandhu, ADGP R.P. Singh, Mr. Rahul Tewari, Mr. Manvesh Singh Sidhu, Mr. Ajay Mahajan (all Special Principal Secretaries) to Deputy CM.