New Delhi: As India is headed towards completing its 75th year of Independence, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said his government was giving the Capital the gift of 33 "fully faceless" transport services — thereby putting an end to corruption and long queues at RTOs across the city and middlemen looking to pocket a quick buck.
In a symbolic gesture, signifying what the CM called the end of corruption in transport services, Kejriwal also 'locked' the premises of the RTO Office of the IP Estate Zone - marking the start of the digital services.
IP Depot, Vasant Vihar, Sarai Kale Khan and Janakpuri RTO offices were closed after Transport Services in the city went online.
Among the 33 faceless services launched by the chief minister are learners' driving licence, applying for a full licence, renewals and related services along with all services related to the registration of vehicles. None of these services will now require any kind of physical interaction with officials.
While announcing the move officially on Wednesday, Chief Minister Kejriwal recalled a time when people would scramble to find a "connection" at transport offices just to get licences, continuing that these services going online is revolutionary.
"Only an honest government could have made this possible. Don't know if it is true, but earlier, we used to hear that the fee that the agents take goes all the way to the top. But now... the system has eradicated the need for agents and corruption, in effect," the CM said. He added that the goal is to make every service "faceless".
With this move, the Delhi government said that it will help people to save time and money spent visiting transport offices. The prime focus of the initiative is to provide transparent service delivery, it added.
In 2018, The AAP-led government had, in a revolutionary move, started the doorstep delivery of 150 services, a step towards curbing corruption — an agenda that the party has been staunchly fighting against, the CM said. The faceless services of the Transport Department is yet another revolutionary step taken by the Kejriwal government, a statement added.
The chief minister said, "Today, what we are doing, it signifies the India of the 21st century. It is a massive step along with the direction of the technological revolution. Offices are now completely digitised, the files are digitised... All services of the transport department are now digital, no need to collect documents and stand in lines, no need to take a holiday, no need to hire a middleman or agent. Just turn the computer on and do it."
The Transport Minister also hailed the launch as revolutionary, highlighting that the move is set to help lakhs of citizens who would have otherwise had to keep trying to navigate RTO offices and transport officials.
In addition to the licencing and registration services that have gone online, Gahlot on Wednesday said that the Delhi government is also working on a system to ensure that hypothecated vehicles in the city are automatically cancelled on repayment of loans. He said there are over 32 lakh hypothecated vehicles in the city and ICICI Bank has already partnered with the government for this with more banks soon to get on board.