Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Sept 11: The Khidmat Centre owners from across Kashmir staged a protest today, alleging that the once-promising e-Governance project, envisioned as a beacon of progress for J&K, was facing a perilous future due to official neglect.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO
Scores of these owners, under the banner of the J&K Bank Khidmat Centre Association, appeared in the Press Enclave Srinagar and were seen holding banners depicting what they termed as concerns surrounding the Khidmat Centre Project, initiated in 2009.
They emphasized “severe deviation” from established guidelines and the undue influence exerted by J&K Bank on the project’s direction.
“This deviation has resulted in the systemic redirection of the youth, originally engaged by J&K Bank in 2009, toward exclusive service provision for J&K Bank, disregarding the core objectives set forth in the project’s guidelines,” said Firdous Ahmad Baba, vice-president of the Association.
He further stated that the initiative was designed to exclusively facilitate Government-to-Citizen (G2C) and Business-to-Citizen (B2C) services.
“However, the practical implementation of this vision has proven to be elusive, with comprehensive public access to information undermining the project’s intended impact.”
The protestors mentioned that while the Khidmat Centres were already struggling to make ends meet, the appointment of new Business Correspondents has added to their woes.
“Originally conceived as integral components of the Business Correspondent (BC) network, Khidmat Centres have witnessed an inundation of banking operations and an extensive BC rollout.”
They also pointed out that the overall status of this e-Governance project reflects significant shortcomings, and the prospects of highly educated youth aspiring to work within Khidmat Centres have been adversely affected.
Another drawback to the project, the protestors highlighted, has been the role played by CSC e-governance Services Limited, a private company working under CSC-SPV from Delhi.
The protestors urged LG Manoj Sinha and Chairman J&K Bank to immediately look into the matter and deliver justice by permanently rehabilitating the Khidmat Centres without unnecessary delays.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
