The Indian Express 03.09.2013
MC, MBD group join hands as suwidha centre opens at mall
The Ludhiana Municipal Corporation and MBD Group have come together to reach out to the maximum number of people. After proving online suwidha centre on its website, e-suwidha, the civic body has now opened its counter at the entrance of MBD Neopolis Mall. And the owners of the mall have refused to take a single penny from the civic body for this social cause.
At the newly opened counter of MC at the mall, residents can now apply for various services like new water/sewerage connection, TS-1 certificates, birth/death certificates, change of ownership and all other documents. Not only this, the counter has also started collection of required fee so that residents do not have to stand in long queues.
The counter, which will remain open till 8 pm, will also also be open on weekends.
The cherry on the cake is the courier service started by the MC for Rs 10. After applying, one can book the courier paying Rs 10 and documents will be delivered at home.
"The basic idea is to reach out to the maximum people. Since people are free for this kind of work on weekends, this counter will remain open. We are expecting maximum response on weekends," Isha Kalia, additional commissioner, headquarter, told Ludhiana Newsline. "Just in a week, online payments on our e-suwidha portal will start; people can pay at the mall too. They can collect documents from mall, zonal or sub-zonal offices or simply through courier. We hope this will encourage people to go for everything in a systematic way."
However, the response the MC has received till now has been quite average. While many have enquired, applications have been almost nil. However, that is not something to get discouraged, feels Kalia. "Let's compare this to shopping. When we see a new shop, first we make up our mind and then after a few days, we plan to buy from there. Similarly, now people have started noticing our initiative and surely they will return to apply for documents. We are distributing pamphlets. This is just the beginning," she said.
Insisting that various other locations were under consideration for opening more such suwidha centres, she said that while the MC was ready to pay for the space, the mall simply refused to take any rent.
"When MC is taking such an initiative, it is our social corporate responsibility to participate. We are obliged that they chose us and we will not be taking a single penny from them," said Manavinder Khurana, manager, marketing, MBD Group.
