The Department of Transport in Madhya Pradesh is planning to roll out a mobile app through which people would be able to apply for driving licence and register complaints against errant officials. The Principal Secretary, Department of Transport, S N Mishra, shares with Vishwas Dass of Elets News Network (ENN) his vision to transform the Department
How is IT helping the Transport Department strengthen citizen service delivery in Madhya Pradesh?
The Department of Transport has been at the forefront in implementation of IT initiatives and has unveiled multiple online services, so that applicants seeking driving licences and registration certificates do not face difficulties in obtaining such documents. Right from applying for a learner’s licence to the permanent one, people need not visit the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs), as the process of applying licence and paying vehicle taxes has been made online.
In today’s times, when people can avail almost every service online, from the confort of their home, the Department of Transport has also made concrete efforts to make citizen-centric services online. We have developed our own software (different from that of the Government of India’s), through which people can apply for driving licences and vehicle registration certificates. We have developed a system in which vehicle dealers collect documents from the buyers and submit these to the RTOs to ensure zero-inconvenience to the vehicle owners.
Do you have any plans to facilitate people applying for documents through their smart phones?
Certainly, we do have a plan for launching a mobile app for which preparations have already started. The plan of unveiling a mobile app has been expedited and would be launched soon, so that people can easily get the documents they need. Services like application for driving licence, registration certificates and payment of vehicle tax would be made available on the mobile app.
How are you strengthening the citizens’ grievance redressal system to minimise the problems faced by the people?
We have got two helpline numbers—CM Helpline and Head of the Department Helpline—to solve grievances lodged by people across the State. The CM helpline has proved a milestone for the Government, as lakhs of people are being benefitted by it. The Chief Minister has given clear instructions that all types of grievances of people, be it relating to transport, health and medical services, municipal corporation or any other department, should be redressed within a time frame. Instant messanger WhatsApp is also playing a crucial role in this regard.
Brief us about your plan to improve services and transport infrastructure in MP.
We want an accurate and impartial system in the transport department to ensure transparent vehicle fitness checks. Bringing a thorough transparency by using latest technology innovations in the department is necessary. In addition to it, road safety and vehicle fitness are the areas of concern and need to be taken care of.
We are contemplating to set up a vehicle inspection and certification centre at Chhindwara with the help of the Government of India that would help maintain transparency in issuing fitness certificates. A driver training school is also in the offing. There are around one crore vehicles registered in MP — nearly 70 per cent of them are two-wheelers.
How do you upgrade knowledge of your employees on the latest technology innovations?
Like any other department, we also conduct special training programmes for our employees to update them on IT-related developments to increase their efficiency. With the technology ruling various sectors, the Government holds training programmes at regular intervals.