CHANDIGARH: Punjab Governor and Administrator, Union Territory, Chandigarh , Gen. (Retd.) S.F. Rodrigues, Monday launched an innovative programme, by inaugurating e-Gram Sampark Centre with state-of-the-art facilities, at village Khuda Jassu, a part of Union Territory. 

This ground-breaking project envisages the setting up of such rural knowledge centers, covering all the remaining villages of Union Territory in a phased manner by the end of this year.

Offering a partnership to the residents of the U.T. villages, Deputy Mayor, Councillors and Panchayat members present on the occasion, General Rodrigues told them that the Administration has undertaken a vigorous planned programme for creating efficient and people friendly infrastructure for their benefit and convenience and it is now the responsibility of each and individual beneficiary to actively participate in this public-private endeavour. 

He said that this Sampark Centre, which provides various public utility services including payment of taxes, issue of bus passes, issue of senior citizen cards, issue of disability identity cards, disbursement of pension for old age persons, widows and disabled, payment of electricity bills, issue of birth & death certificates, payment of water & sewerage bills, open space bookings, community hall bookings, tenant registration, domestic servants registration, general, sticker and postal challan, sale of stamp papers and special adhesive stamps, Chandigarh Housing Board Sale & Receipt of Forms, All deposits for dwelling units of CHB, passport application submission and telephone bill payment, HFCL Connect, Airtel and Spice etc., will certainly change their life pattern, by saving their time and energy.

Giving an account of this project. . S.K. Sandhu, Finance-cum-IT Secretary said that these Gram Sampark Centers are being networked under SWAN (State-wide Area Network Programme) on pilot basis, followed by networking of all e-governance centers in the Union Territory . This project is being implemented by the Chandigarh Administration in partnership with BSNL, Government of India.