Pune: The state govt has instructed district collectors to act against Aaple Sarkar Seva centres that fail to meet prescribed standards. They have time up to Sept 30 to comply with a new statewide framework on infrastructure, accessibility and service delivery. The govt wants to improve service quality and bring uniformity across its citizen service network.The directives are part of a govt resolution (GR) issued by the state’s electronics, information technology and artificial intelligence department on June 23, laying down uniform norms for branding, infrastructure, monitoring and citizen services across Aaple Sarkar centres.District collectors will inspect all centres at least once every six months and initiate cancellation proceedings against operators who fail to rectify deficiencies despite the opportunity, state IT department officials told TOI.The move follows recurring complaints from people about poor infrastructure, internet connectivity issues, inadequate seating arrangements, lack of drinking water facilities, technical glitches and delays in processing applications at several centres across the state.Govt will introduce a citizen feedback mechanism through IVRS, AI-based voice agents and operator-assisted calls. Feedback from applicants availing services at the centres will be compiled and analysed and will form part of the centres’ performance assessment.“The feedback will be analysed and incorporated into the grading and performance assessment of centres. Persistent negative feedback may trigger corrective and disciplinary action,” senior officials from the IT department said.The GR prescribes detailed minimum infrastructure standards. Every centre must operate from a permanent building with a minimum area of 100 sq ft and have uninterrupted power supply with backup facilities. Each centre must have at least one computer or laptop, printer, scanner, biometric device and webcam in a working condition.Internet connectivity standards have also been specified. Rural centres must maintain a minimum internet speed of 10 Mbps, while urban centres must provide at least 20 Mbps. Adequate lighting, seating arrangements, tables and chairs for operators, clean drinking water and barrier-free access for persons with disabilities have been made mandatory. Rural centres must provide seating for at least two visitors and urban centres for at least four.Govt has standardised the nomenclature of centres. They can now operate under four approved names — Aaple Sarkar–Setu Seva Kendra, Aaple Sarkar–Seva Kendra, Aaple Sarkar–Gram Panchayat Seva Kendra and Aaple Sarkar–Nagari Seva Kendra. Uniform internal and external signboards prescribed by the department will also have to be installed.The GR mandates display of information on the 15 most-used citizen services inside every centre. QR codes carrying details of other services, service delivery timelines and official charges must also be displayed to improve transparency and help citizens verify fees and processing periods.“GIS mapping and geo-fencing within a 50m radius for operators only from approved locations, and login attempts from outside the designated zone will be automatically blocked. Simultaneous logins will be capped at 20 for Setu Seva Kendras and Nagari Seva Kendras, five for Seva Kendras and two for gram panchayat Seva Kendras.,’’ the state IT official said.Citizens feel that while these checks should help regulate these centres, the services should be more prompt. “Some centres hardly have any staff or their internet services delay uploading documents. These should be addressed at the earliest,’’ said Sudha Mohan, who recently had to do many rounds to get documents.Senior citizen GV Rao said that applications should be processed without any middlemen at these centres. “There should be security and monitoring at these centres,’’ he added.
