To support Lok Mitra Kendras (LMKs) at the grass roots and spread awareness about e-governance in the villages, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh flagged off an exhibition van under ‘State Common Service Centre Rural Outreach Programme’ from Shimla today.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that 2970 LMKs had been rolled out and about 2200 LMKs were actively providing various services to the people such as electricity, water, BSNL payments, registration of grievances, copies of Jamabandies, printing of AADHAAR, Mobile and DTH recharge, PAN card, Computer Courses, Online Railways and Airline Ticket Booking etc. He said that services like issuing Birth, Death, Domicile, Caste, Income Certificates etc. MNREGA payments, financial services like bank account opening, withdrawal/deposit, loan document, student scholarships etc. would be provided through LMKs.
Virbhadra Singh said that 100 LMKs from Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Bilaspur, Kangra, Una and Kullu districts would be covered under Rural Outreach Programme. A mobile exhibition van with computers, laptop, Big LCD screen, e-governance awareness material and a team of promoters would go to each of selected LMKs to give hands on experience about various public services available through these centres, he added. He said that Nukkad Natak, audio visual experience and would be educating people about convenience and transparency of services available through LMKs. He said that exhibition van would also promote AADHAR project, DBT, financial inclusion through LMKs besides providing colour prints of Aadhaar cards to the citizens.
Rajender Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India detailed about the State Common Service Centre Rural Outreach Programme. A street play about services being provided by LMKs was also staged on the occasion.
Vidya Stokes, Irrigation and Public Health and Information Technology Minister, Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Forest Minister, Kewal Singh Pathania, Vice Chairman, H.P. Forest Development Corporation, Vineet Chaudhary, Additional Chief Secretary, Information Technology, Tarun Shridhar, Principal Secretary, Industries and Fisheries, Manisha Nanda, Principal Secretary, Printing and Stationary, Dinesh Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla and other senior officers and officials of H.P. Secretariat were also present on the occasion.
